I used to be a really big fan of Italian football and Serie A. My love for the Italian game was soured by the scandal and corruption which appears to be rift within the Italian game .
Dropping standards
However it wasn’t so much the fact that the players or clubs were doing wrong. Its the fact that the standard and reputation of Serie A dropped dramatically when the likes of Juventus and AC Milan were punished for their part in scandals.
Inter dominance
Inter are completely dominate in the league and are a cut above the other clubs in player quality. Although I’m a big Inter fan and have been since I was 10, it almost gets boring watching the Nerazzurri win title after title, almost!
European failings
Unfortunately for me and every other Inter fan the club can’t replicate their domestic triumphs in the Champions League. Every season I have high hopes for Inter and every season they flatter to deceive. Apart of Inter’s problem is that they are so used to winning that they get complacent and against teams in Europe they punished for that complacency.
I recently watched Inter surprisingly struggle against a relatively poor Roma side. Although they got a draw against Claudio Ranieri’s men it was almost like they were in first gear. It was like they were just expecting to show up and collect the points and most weeks they do.
Week opposition
Their closest competitors this season are the same two of the last few years their city rivals AC Milan and Juventus. They are currently five points clear of Juve and AC are a further two points behind. They will probably run away with their fifth consecutive Serie A title but unless they progress in Europe then the fans will see the season as another wasted season.
Not attractive
Instead of being attracted to Serie A top players and bosses are leaving for the bright lights of La Liga and the Premier League. Serie A used to be the top league in Europe. Everybody who was anybody wanted to play in Serie A and now it simple can’t compete with the other two top leagues. Its as if young foreign players now sign for Italian clubs as a way of getting nearer to Serie A and the Premier League.
Bad news for national side
The downfall of Serie A has not helped the development of young Italian players either. The Italian national squad currently looks like the cast of Cocoon. They may have won the last World Cup but their squad has aged fours years since then and are starting to creak.
Its Ironic that two of top youngster coming through in Serie A are at Inter in the shape of striker Mario Balotelli and full-back Davide Santon. Neither are first team regulars though. They are both still in contention for next years World Cup but could miss out due to not getting regular football. A January loan move has been mooted for Santon, which could help the full-back get the first team action he needs.
Can Serie A recover?
I fear for the Italian top flight. I don’t think it will ever get back to the top of the European football tree. The standard has dropped too far and with the Russian Premier League and German Bundesliga both making giant leaps in recent years they could find themselves even further down the pecking order of European leagues.
The glory days of the Serie A are long gone and something has to be done to halt the slump. However I’m not sure how that can be achieved. It might need to get worse before it gets better for Serie A but for Italian football sakes I hope the league can make a recovery.
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