It was not that long ago that the debate over which was the strongest league in Europe wasn’t as complicated. After Real Madrid, AC Milan are the most successful side in European Cup history, having won five of their seven titles in the last 25 years.
During that time Juventus also lifted one crown, and lost in three finals – two of which they really should have won – while Inter were the country’s last champions in 2010. However, amid the changing face of the Champions League, Italian football has lost its looks to become the ugly sister of the continent’s finest.
As the money has dribbled out of Serie A and into the Premier League, Bundesliga and La Liga’s elite, Calcio’s image has taken a battering. The Calciopoli and Scommessopoli match-fixing scandals, half-empty grounds, crowd violence and PSG’s relentless plundering of the league’s best players has left Italian football a shadow of what it was.
This has been reflected by their slow descent down the UEFA coefficient rankings, falling below the Bundesliga with Portugal’s Primeira Liga now perilously close.
Yet changes could be afoot, as Roma, Inter and perhaps soon Napoli have embraced foreign ownership – in an attempt to level the playing field again – there is renewed optimism an Italian side can make an impact in Europe.
There was somewhat of a false dawn with Antonio Conte’s Juventus who, despite dominating the Scudetto for the past three years, have fared poorly in Europe with 2012/13’s convincing exit at the hands of Bayern as good as it’s got. The Bianconeri are keenly placed on three points alongside Atletico Madrid, Malmo and Olympiakos in Group A and should still qualify, but the real buzz circulates around the country’s representative in a markedly tougher group.
Roma ran Juve three-quarters of the way last season before fading, and drawn with Bayern, Manchester City and CSKA Moscow, they were immediately cast as the third team in Group E. But so far the Giallorossi, in terms of exceeding expectations, have been the most impressive side in the competition.
After the Luis Enrique and Zdenek Zeman experiments failed, Rudi Garcia was seen as a slightly underwhelming but ultimately sensible appointment. Under the Frenchman the club has been reborn, losing just six matches with Garcia in charge with a win percentage of 71 per cent.
For context, Enrique had 42, Zeman 46 while Conte had 67 per cent with Juve.
Garcia has bought exceptionally well: Morgan De Sanctis, Maicon, Ashley Cole and Seydou Keita are not playing like thirtysomethings, while Radja Nainggolan, Kevin Strootman, Gervinho, Juan Iturbe and Kostas Manolas have been astute purchases.
Playing with a decidely un-Italian fast tempo and plenty of width, he has reawakened the passion within Daniele De Rossi, Miralem Pjanic is now a genuine world class playmaker, Mattia Destro is rediscovering his potential and then there is Francesco Totti, of who it is almost pointless to apply platitudes.
Roma should have beaten Manchester City in the last gameweek, but now face a real test of their strength in Bayern Munich. The German club’s rise since the start of the decade has coincided with Italy’s fall from grace.
The right result tonight could help bring back some much-needed pride to Serie A.
