Italian Serie A has lost its clout among the best leagues in European soccer. It has lost its legitimacy with the falls of AC Milan, Internazionale di Milano, and Juventus during the latter half of the last decade. The Italian league suffered greatly from a number of scandals that came to light during that time period, most notably Calciopoli, poorly run management and the exit of many players in their primes who went to clubs in other countries. One team is doing something about it. Somewhat like a phoenix, Juventus FC has come back to regain its former glory and put Serie A back into the spotlight.
Since their forced relegation for the 2005-2006 campaign to Serie B, they have made a resurgence. They have won Serie A 5 times in a row (about to be six) and have used their domestic success to reach the next level in the UEFA Champions League. But who will follow Juventus’ lead and help to solidify the presence of Italian football in the European championship? Serie A lost spots in the Champions League because teams who made it faltered in the tournament and league performance determines how many spaces your league gets in future tournaments. Teams who represent their league owe the other teams in their country so that they can bring more teams with them in future years. This year, Napoli made a decent run to the round of sixteen where they bowed out at the hands of Real Madrid. Last year, AS Roma suffered the same fate. The Italians have yet to find a team who can establish themselves as a perennial participant in the later rounds.
As both of the Milan teams continue to produce mediocre football, Serie A struggles to regain its foothold. Juventus has been the first team to reach the Final of the Champions League and the first since Internazionale won in 2009-10. Juventus finished as runner-up to Barcelona in 2013 where they gave Barça a fantastic game. Other teams need to find ways to follow the leader and get themselves back into position to compete with the best teams on the European continent. Juventus is alone in the fight as many teams struggle to qualify for the main tournament since the 3rd place team from Italy does not automatically qualify. Instead, they are placed in a playoff round with teams from numerous smaller leagues from across Europe. Most of these teams end up in the second level tournament similar to the NIT for college basketball which is called the Europa League.
In order to grow the game, Italian teams must shift their focus from domestic to continental glory in order to obtain the notoriety and promote themselves in the minds of soccer fans. Like Leicester in England who defied 5000 to 1 odds and won the English Premier League last season, smaller teams have to explode onto the scene to draw more fans to their games and spread their brand across the continent. It is important to bring in more revenue so that teams can buy better players and increase the competitiveness of Serie A. It is a trickle down effect: more TV revenue is distributed to each team who can use it to buy better players in order to improve their team and compete for Serie A Scudetto championships.
The league lost many fans and followers in the aftermath of the Calciopoli scandal which involved match-fixing and manipulating referee assignments. It is hard to trust the league when there are constant accusations of scandals and threats of involvement by the Mafia. It hurts the integrity of the game and makes it difficult to trust the sport.
For Calcio to regain its former glory, Serie A will have to distance itself from all outside problems and find a way to generate consistent success in Europe and to show the integrity of the sport. It will modernize along with other leagues like the British and German Leagues. Currently, Juventus is the only team to have built their own stadium with their own money, but this is a concept that teams in all other sports have already grasped. Most teams have already developed their own stadiums but in Italy, they are behind the times with the majority of teams playing in municipal stadiums or Olympic grounds funded by the government. Modernization is another way to compete with other leagues. Outdated stadiums must be replaced by newer grounds that offer modern amenities.
Without modernization, the league continues to relish in the glory of the past instead of the potential for the future. Teams must find a way to generate enduring success in Europe and to rejuvenate the competitiveness of the league. Serie A went from being considered the best league top to bottom to now sitting near the bottom of the top four. The deep adoration of the Italian fans and their strong devotion to their teams deserves better. They deserve enduring success and years of happiness for their dedication and tremendous displays. The Italian people are proud of their nation and should want their country to be well-represented among the other nations of Europe. Juventus are dragging AS Roma and SSC Napoli to compete in Europe, but other teams have to step up and follow the lead of the Bianconeri. They have to re-establish the greatness of Calcio again by modernizing, staying away from scandals and match-fixing that have plagued the past and striving for European success, not just domestic.
