Italian football used to reign supreme. It was not that long ago when Italians dominated the 1980s and 1990s. Then the Spanish giants re-emerged, and afterward came Calciopoli, the fall of Inter Milan and AC Milan, and years of ineptitude abroad. However, things are on a upward trajectory culminating in European dominance this season. The question begs, is calcio indeed back?
In the world of football, few teams and leagues have always reigned supreme. However, after several years of being overshadowed by other leagues such as the English Premier League, one league is making a strong comeback as the king of Europe - the Italian Serie A, also known as Calcio.
The resurgence of Calcio began in the 2019-2020 season when Serie A saw a rise in their ratings and became the second most popular league in Europe after the English Premier League. This upswing was largely due to Cristiano Ronaldo's inclusion in Juventus, which renewed interest in Italian football.
In the 2020-2021 season, Serie A hit the ground running, providing us with a lot of excitement, drama, and impressive performances. That season had a lot in store for us, from the resurgence of AC Milan to Inter Milan winning the league. The league provided us with edge-of-the-seat moments and an unpredictable competitive edge that had been missing in the past.
One of the biggest advantages of Calcio is the high technical level of its players. After improving their league's infrastructure in recent years, the league has been able to attract top talent both locally and from abroad. Serie A has always been known for producing top-class defenders, but in recent seasons they have shown that they can also deliver world-class forwards and midfielders.
Serie A has turned into a highly entertaining, high-scoring, offensive game. Calcio has boasted the highest goals-per-game average of the top-5 leagues in Europe for the last five seasons. As we always say on our Serie A Sitdown podcast, "This ain't your father's Serie A anymore." A lot of goals are scored weekly and total goals scored in a match week often go north of 40 goals.
Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku, for example, solidified himself as one of the top strikers in Europe with his performances in the 20-21 season, and his team work with Lautaro Martinez made Inter Milan champions as a result. AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic also proved that he was still one of the best strikers in the world by scoring 15 goals in just 17 games. Juventus continued to rely on Cristiano Ronaldo's magic, and his 29 goals helped them to qualify for the Champions League.
Another point worth mentioning was the surprising strength of smaller teams in the league. Teams like Sassuolo and Atalanta had shown that they can compete with the 'big boys' in the league, showcasing impressive performances that earned them a place in European competitions the following season.
AC Milan marked their return to the pinnacle last season by dethroning Inter in an enthralling title race that went down to the final day. While Inter's Lautaro Martinez and Napoli's Victor Osimhen emerged as viable goal-scoring threats, it was Milan's Rafael Leao who turned the league on its head with his MVP performance. That was made emphatic with his three-assist performance on the final day.
Entering this season, the pedigree of managers in the league was nothing to scoff at. The likes of Stefano Pioli, Simone Inzaghi, Luciano Spalletti, Jose Mourinho, Max Allegri, and Maurizio Sarri roamed the sidelines for the "seven sisters." Add to that Gian Piero Gasperini of Atalanta, Vincenzo Italiano of Fiorentina, and Serie A was poised to have its most talented core of teams, maybe ever. Add other hot commodities in Thiago Motta of Bologna, Andrea Sottil of Udinese, and Alessio Dionisi of Sassuolo.
The top-half teams have battled it out against each other and dominated in Europe. While every team was cannibalizing itself, they are all miles off this year's runaway league leader Napoli. Led by Osimhen and upstart sensation Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The dynamic duo took Serie A and Europe by storm, instantly helping Napoli become one of the most dangerous teams in Europe. Evident by destroying most teams that got in their way during this season's Champions League, making a deep run.
Although there is no denying that other leagues such as the EPL and La Liga have always been at the forefront of European football, it is clear that Serie A is on the rise once again. With a new generation of young talented players and experienced veterans at their disposal, the league is poised to reclaim its throne as the king of Europe.
Serie A sits on the pinnacle at the moment with five teams in the three European major tournaments: Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League. In the latter, Fiorentina is the sole representative of Italy. In the Europa League, Jose Mourinho and Roma are looking for a second European title in as many seasons. The other team is the Old Lady of Juventus, led by Allegri. Juventus have quietly marched through all competition despite legal troubles back home.
Now the premier tournament in Europe is the UEFA Champions League. This season has seen three teams make deep runs. Inter Milan escaped second in a group of death that featured heavyweights Bayern Munich and Barcelona. After that, they disposed of in successive rounds two Portuguese giants in Porto and Benfica. They've stepped up each time they were challenged and now find themselves in the semifinals. Full credit should go to Simone Inzaghi and his cup management genius.
Napoli made good work of their difficult groups and into the round of 16. Napoli has been the surprise of the tournament, thrashing everyone from Liverpool to Ajax to Eintracht Frankfurt. The latter was the reigning Europa League champions.
AC Milan too had to traverse a difficult group stage by getting by Chelsea, Salzburg, and Dinamo Zagreb finishing in second place. They then put in a defensive clinic against Antonio Conte's Tottenham allowing zero goals.
While Inter made their way without a hiccup to the semifinals, both Napoli and AC Milan's destinies were against each other. We saw an all-Italian affair in the quarterfinals with arguably the best attack in Europe in Napoli versus the reigning Serie A champions and their stingy defense. The cappuccino-sipping Stefano Pioli put on a masterclass defensively to shut down the new European darlings in Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen. This result completed the fifth semifinal entrant for the Italians and a Champions League version of the Derby Della Madonnina against bitter rivals Inter. By the way, guarantees an Italian club will be in the finals.
Juventus and Roma could meet in the Europa League finals and Fiorentina could make the Conference League finals. While it is an outside chance, we are looking at potentially having Italians conquer all three tournaments. Time will tell if this happens, however, the emergence of the Italians in the cup ties is no fluke.
The future looks promising for Calcio, and if the league can continue to attract and develop top-class talent, it will undoubtedly be one of the most competitive and exciting leagues to watch in years to come. For now, we can sit back and enjoy the resurgence of Serie A as it continues to provide us with top-quality football that leaves us on the edge of our seats.