Forza Italia: Why the Italian Serie A is back

Carlos Tevez (R) of Juventus competes with Kevin Constant of AC Milan during the TIM Preseason Tournament on July 23, 2013 in Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy. (Getty Images)

After Juventus were beaten quite comprehensively by Bayern Munich in last season’s Champions League quarterfinals (4-0 over two legs), their manager Antonio Conte remarked that Italian football had come to a ‘standstill’, and that Italians clubs would be adrift of the top European clubs.

At that time, the statement sounded rational as Juventus, the Serie A’s defending champions and arguably the best Italian club in the competition were thoroughly dominated and dismantled by Jupp Heynckes’ all-conquering Bavarian horde.

They were dominated as the Germans outplayed the Italians at every aspect of the game. Milan, the only other Italian team of note last year, lost in last 16 stage of the competition as they were subjugated by mighty Barcelona.

Italian football seemed to be headed down a path of stagnation as their clubs’ inability to compete in the transfer market, due to financial constraints, threatened to push the league down the popularity stakes in Europe as nouveau-rich French clubs such as PSG and Monaco threatened to buy all the glory.

Ligue 1 looked set to join the already well established English Spanish Leagues at top of the European scene as Italian football seemed bereft of ideas and money.

As the new season is set to start though, all those fears seem silly and unfounded in retrospect. By resorting to well thought-out transfer strategies and prizing ‘value for money’ over the oft-committed sin of overpaying, Italian football seems to be getting close to the good old days when the Serie A reigned supreme.

Juventus have already added the likes of Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente, both proven strikers at the highest level of the game, to their already solid batch of strikers. AS Roma have signed Kevin Strootman from PSV of Holland; a talented midfielder who is already a full Dutch international.

Napoli have been exceptionally active in the market as Gonzalo Higuain, Raul Albiol, Dries Mertens, Jose Callejon and Pepe Reina (on loan) have been recruited as they try to begin life without Edinson Cavani and make a serious challenge for the Scudetti.

The coming season also has an exciting batch of top managers as Juventus’ Conte will try to successfully implement the strategies that have fetched him two back-to-back championships. Milan’s Max Allegri as well as Inter’s Walter Mazarri will be eager to impress as they attempt to prevent Juventus from winning the crown three times in a row.

The most intriguing case, though, is of Napoli’s Rafael Benitez as he begins his second sojourn in Italy after having performed dismally with Inter in 2010. At the beginning of last season he was written off and almost forgotten as he seemed to be resigned to being a football pundit.

However, Roberto Di Matteo’s firing and Rafa’s appointment as manager of Chelsea renewed his career. After securing their Champions League spot as well as presiding over their successful Europa League campaign, he looks ready to prove himself all over again.

All these developments point to a strong Serie A, which is a welcome surprise as one of Europe’s traditional powerhouses attempt to regain their lost glory and reclaim their rightful place among the rest of the European elite.