With two games left, the battle for fourth place is no longer a simple fight between the likes of Lazio, Udinese, Roma and Juventus. With Serie A’s poor showing in this season’s edition of the Champions League, the honour of Italian football is at stake and for that reason alone, all Italians should be hoping the red and yellow half of the capital have enough strength in their legs to get across the finishing line with their roman noses just ahead of the chasing pack.
This might be a little harsh on the quite fantastic efforts of the Zebrette as well as Edy Reja’s Biancocelesti, but the harsh reality is that Italy needs its big clubs to be in Europe’s elite competition if it is to recapture its place at the top of European football, a position which is now firmly in the grip of teams from Spain and England. Milan and Inter can currently guarantee Serie A has at least two financial and historical heavyweights ready to take part.
However, can Napoli, Udinese or Lazio really strike fear into the hearts of the clubs from Manchester or the Catalans of Barcelona? Would John Terry or Sergio Ramos tremble at the sight of Mauro Zarate or Ezequel Lavezzi emerging from the changing rooms? Will the likes of Edison Cavani, Marek Hamsik, Alexis Sanchez and Hernanes still be at their respective clubs come September? The chances of a positive response to any of these questions are at best, slim.
And what of fallen giants Juventus? They have a mathematical chance of making it into fourth place, but the current turmoil at the club makes the political situation in the middle-east seem like nothing more than a school playground spat. Coupled with the fact that the team is heavily made up of co-ownership and loaned players and an unpopular coach, nobody really knows what the Bianconeri will look like come the start of the new campaign. Another transitional season surely beckons for the men from Turin.
Realistically, of all the candidates for that final Champions League berth, only Roma have the structure and finances to make any kind of worthy impression towards the latter stages of next season’s competition. Not only do they have a proven spine in the team (Juan, Daniele De Rossi and Francesco Totti), they now have the financial muscle of a new owner that should see a number of quality signings arrive throughout the summer.
Even if Daniele De Rossi, Mirko Vucinic and Jeremy Menez all leave, as some reports suggest, their replacements will be of a class either equal or better than their predecessors. Alongside the new business model Mr DiBenedetto will put into place, the squad will be stronger and the structure of the club will have an unprecedented stability, crucial to any successful sporting season.
For the good of Italian football, its reputation and its standing throughout the world, every Italian tifoso should hope and pray the Giallorossi make it.
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