The 2014-15 season was a memorable one for Serie A fans, with a number of the league’s clubs excellent European campaigns, ending a barren spell which had seen football on the peninsula fall behind that of traditional rivals.
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While England, Spain and Germany strengthened their position atop the UEFA co-efficient rankings, Champions League triumphs for AC Milan in 2007 and Inter Milan in 2010 represented Italy’s only success stories over the past 12 years.
The Nerazzurri followed up their victory with a quarter-final berth in 2011, a feat repeated by Milan and then Juventus in subsequent seasons. As for the Europa League, it was treated with complete distain. Formerly the UEFA Cup, only two Italian sides – Lazio in 2012-13 and Juventus in 2013-14 –reached the quarter-finals or better after the competition was rebranded in 2009.
That all changed last season; Juventus finally transferred their domestic dominance onto the continental scene, reaching the Champions League final before losing to Barcelona, while the promise of a place in the elite competition for the winners of the Europa League saw Serie A’s other clubs refocus their efforts, as no fewer than five teams reached the last-16.
To do so, Torino overcame Athletic Bilbao 5-4 on aggregate, a hugely significant victory that perhaps deserved more attention than it received at the time. The Granata were well organised and had a sprinkling of quality – including Manchester United new boy Matteo Darmian – that helped them become the first Serie A club to eliminate a Liga side from Europe in five years.
It also made Torino the first Italian club ever to win at the historic San Mames stadium, with coach Giampiero Ventura telling reporters at the time of his “great pride in such an extraordinary performance.” The same feelings were apparent in Napoli and Fiorentina’s run to the semi-finals of the Europa League, though Juventus president Andrea Agnelli has claimed it was not indicative of a strong league.
“Juve in the Champions League final and Napoli and Fiorentina in the Europa League semi-finals isn’t Italian football’s success,” he said at a press conference following his side’s loss in Berlin. Offering the alternative opinion that it was simply a matter of “three clubs who have worked well,” the principal of the Turin giants touched on a bigger issue.
While praising that aforementioned pair, Agnelli inadvertently highlighted the issues Milan and Inter were dealing with, struggling to recover from years of financial mismanagement. This summer has clearly seen the San Siro clubs look to redress the balance, while 2015-16 has once again begun well for Serie A sides on the European front.
Juventus recorded another memorable victory, taking all three points against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, shrugging off their poor domestic form to win what looked to be their toughest Group D fixture. Alessandro Florenzi’s stunning effort from the halfway line will live long in the memory, but so will the fact it helped AS Roma hold Barca to a 1-1 draw, and the Giallorossi will hope to reach the knockout rounds this time around.
For a clear picture on the coefficients. 4 spots is a reality for Italy. @hashim0307 @terrenceKC @azkhawaja1 pic.twitter.com/Mjd6IJs2O3
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In the Europa League, Napoli registered a superb 5-0 win over Club Brugge and Lazio held last year’s runners-up Dnipro to a draw. It was another excellent round for the peninsula, strengthening their coefficient and drawing them closer still to the struggling Premier League, with the very real possibility of that fourth Champions League spot returning in the future.
The reasons are not as complex as they may first appear, with the reduced number of places meaning stronger teams reach the Europa League, and the now tense battle for the top three putting that coveted Champions League berth at a premium. Roma and Juve have cemented their place among the elite, but this season has already shown that a number of other teams are working hard to dine at Europe’s top table.
Reeling off a string of impressive wins, Inter currently sit in first place in Serie A, and the Nerazzurri have made their intentions perfectly clear. “Getting back into the Champions League is fundamental for us, it’s where we should be,” Inter vice president Javier Zanetti told Sport 360 in a recent interview. “Milan and Inter can’t not be in Europe, we have to get there whatever it takes!”
“It’s important for Serie A that Inter and Milan rise again because it will help lift the level of our domestic league,” he added, and that renewed effort bodes well. While Italian football still has fundamental issues, it finally seems as though the biggest clubs are heading in the right direction and aiming for even more success in the coming seasons.
