Roma’s disappointing group stage Champions League exit hammered a further nail into Serie A’s European football coffin, with Juventus remaining Italy’s sole representative in this season’s most prestigious football tournament.
The Giallorossi have therefore been dropped into the horror that is the Europa League. A competition that historically has been treated as a hindrance, almost to the point of disrespect, by Italian clubs in favour of concentrating their efforts on domestic responsibilities.
But, given the manor of Roma’s elimination, the Europa League could prove to be a sporting trampoline for Rudi Garcia’s team, their springboard for future Champions League success that their fans so crave.
And we shall now try to explain why.
The common practice of using the competition to field ‘second string’ players and bench warmers is, in fact, to the detriment of the established stars.
Roma has been starved of regular European glory, and as such their players have missed out on the experience that can be gained by traveling midweek to far flung areas of Europe, against unfamiliar opposition, who play in styles and on pitches that are very alien to those in Serie A.
The Giallorossi’s failure to hold on to their 1-0 lead away to CSKA Moscow, which resulted in a last second equaliser for the Russians during the Champions League group phase, was a direct result of a squad lacking the ‘know-how’, when faced with such a tense situation, to see out a game of such magnitude.
The Europa League will potentially give players that understanding and experience, vital to any Champions League progress.
Players must learn to feel the pressure of two-legged knockout matches, the importance of holding on to a result when under huge stresses, whilst being jeered and heckled by thousands of opposing fans. They must gain the mental toughness to score that away goal even when the result is already seemingly lost, in the desperate hope that it makes a difference in 14 days time.
And, perhaps the most critical experience of them all, something that can never be recreated on any training ground, the dreaded penalty shootout.
Why should Roma leave these situations in the hands of fringe squad members, players who are not considered good enough for regular Serie A football?
Stars such as Radja Nainngolan, Alessandro Florenzi, Adem Ljajic, Miralem Pjanic, Kevin Strootman, Davide Astori, Gervinho and Kostas Manolas a
re crying out for this kind of ‘big game’ experience.
And if the past is anything to go by, these players would be used sparingly in the Europa League. Instead we would watch aging team mates such as Francesco Totti, Ashley Cole, Seydou Keita and Marco Borriello or loanees like Yanga-MBiwa and Salih Ucan walk out against the likes of Ajax, Liverpool and Besiktas.
A nonsensical approach when making your mark on the Champions League is considered ‘the pinnacle’ of European football glory.
Secondly, success in any competition breeds further success.
Big clubs are constantly associated with reaching cup finals and winning trophies, it becomes part of their DNA. No matter how weak Serie A is considered, teams like Juventus and AC Milan have it within themselves to make it into the knockout stages of the Champions League partly due to their history.
In contrast, sides such as Napoli and Udinese have all failed to sustain any kind of ‘Euro momentum’ despite excellent recent seasons domestically when faced with the rigours of this competition.
They just don’t have the pedigree.
Roma are in a similar situation. In recent times they have won the sum total of two runners up medals outside of Italy. Firstly in the 1984 European Cup against Liverpool and then in 1991, losing to Inter in an all Italian UEFA Cup final.
Hardly the record of European stalwarts.
Finally, money, prestige and a seal of approval.
Winning anything brings confidence to those involved, players and coaches alike. An affirmation that what you are doing actually works, that the time spent on the training ground and in the board room, is paying off.
The prize fund may pale into insignificance when considering what can be earned from the Champions League, but who would say no to a €5million pay-out and the title of Europa League Champions?
And if you still aren’t convinced, then let us use a real live case in point.
Atletico Madrid, now considered one of the favourites for the Champions League and last season’s beaten finalists. A club that historically has rarely threatened on the big stage.
But, having won the Europa League in 2009 and then again in 2012, the benefits of taking the competition seriously has now propelled Diego Simeone’s side in amongst giants such as Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid. They have started a cycle of success that is creating history.
If ever there was a reason to seriously attempt winning this so-called inferior trophy, then you need only go check out the recent rise of the club that plays at the Vicente Calderon stadium.
It really couldn’t be any clearer.
Follow Enzo on Twitter: @enzoM_fif
You are right.
It cannot be clearer BUT….the attitude still persists within the majority of Serie A clubs.
The coefficient points gained in the Europa League are the same as the CL. If all Italian Clubs take the Europa League seriously then we may stand a chance of maybe one day getting back our fourth CL spot….The points Enzo makes should be blindingly obvious to all Coaches, Presidents etc SO WHY do they persist on treating it like a Pub League???
Great Article.
They are taking it a lot more seriously as you can tell from all Italian teams qualifying, especially teams like torino and fiorentina who although the Italian league is so ‘rubbish’ can’t get to 3rd place but have a chance of winning the EL and automatically qualifying.For a team like roma who has a good shot at winning serie a which is obviously very prestigious and then obviously making it into the UCL next year It’s yet to be seen if they’ll bother playing to win it although i think they really should as they have the team to do so.