We all remember the somewhat rushed PR campaign carried out by Serie A after six Italian teams qualified for the quarter-finals of all three European competitions a year ago. There were Luca Toni, Fabio Capello and Fabio Cannavaro sitting in a theater, staring in amazement at today’s league stars, while the familiar tones of Nessun Dorma played softly in the background.
Serie A claimed that after years of struggling to assert itself in Europe, it was finally back. Good times were upon us. At the end of the season, Serie A had finished with three runners-up, and all three were defeated. Most argued that although the Italian game had improved on the European stage after years of embarrassment, calcio was not really back and that the luck of the draw had worked in the league’s favor , especially in the Champions League.
Last night, Serie A officially secured an extra place in the new and improved Champions League for next season after Atalanta, Roma and Fiorentina all booked places in the semi-finals of the Europa League and the Europa League Conference. Additionally, if Atalanta win the Europa League – an idea no longer unlikely after their performances at Liverpool – and finish sixth in Serie A (as is currently the case), then the league would have six teams in Champions League for next season.
So this time it’s calcio Really back?
The answer, as it was a year ago, is no. Italy had no representatives in the Champions League round of 16 this season, after having three a year ago. Inter, by far Italy’s best team and champions-elect, were expected to be the team that would do the most damage in the tournament compared to Serie A clubs, but blew a 2-0 lead against Atletico Madrid in the round of 16. 16 and went out on penalties. Napoli, Lazio and Milan all came out with a whimper at different stages.
Italy’s coefficient ranking this season can be explained by the performances of Europa League teams and Fiorentina in the Conference League, where teams like Roma, Atalanta – and briefly Milan – have swept teams aside. The measuring stick has been and always will be the Champions League, and only two Italian teams have reached the semi-finals in the last five years: Milan and Inter last season.
However, there is no doubt that Calcio is slowly recovering after years of resuscitation. On the contrary, Italian teams have outperformed over the past two seasons. Considering we now live in a world where Brentford and Bournemouth can outbid seven-time European champions Milan for players, Serie A has not disgraced itself on the European stage. Italian coaching is still the best in the world, no country produces coaches like Coverciano, and this is mainly the reason why the league punches above its weight in relation to league revenue.
Atalanta’s success against Liverpool is a perfect example of this. Gian Piero Gasperini tactically outmaneuvered Jürgen Klopp in both games, even though the German had superior players and a wage bill almost four times greater. Atalanta canceled out Liverpool in both matches and fully deserved to advance. Atalanta’s club revenue in 2022/23 was $207 million, Liverpool’s for the same period was $739 million.
Atalanta produced two exceptional performances, but these kinds of displays are not sustainable in the long term. Ultimately, quality always shines through in football and Atalanta can only go so far on a modest budget. La Dea are one of the most progressive clubs in the country: they own their stadium, have no debt and are putting the finishing touches on upgrading the Gewiss Stadium, but Serie A TV deals continue to lose value and that’s obviously going to keep them and every other team in the league.
The new national television deal, which runs from this summer through 2029 and won by DAZN and Sky Italia, is worth about $32 million per season. less than the current agreement despite the resurgence of Italian teams in Europe. Among the biggest teams, only Milan, Atalanta and Napoli are turning a profit, with Juventus, Inter and Roma drowning in debt. The biggest obstacle of course is the league’s continuing struggle with the government to build new stadiums, with Serie A boasting record average attendances this century and Euro 2032 not far away, the Italian state is now under pressure to build new stadiums. arenas.
It could be argued that Serie A is now the second best league in Europe, but until modern stadiums are built and domestic and foreign television deals increase rather than decrease, Italy can only hope that second place. Until then, he will continue to punch above his weight despite himself.
Calcio is not back, but the signs are promising.