A year after one of Italian football’s most hated managers led Inter Milan to the glory of Champions League success, football in the country has once again slumped back into the malaise that it was in before Jose Mourinho pulled Inter back to the top of the pile in European football.
Despite Rafa Benitez proving a far more likeable replacement for the Italian media to get along with, so far he has failed to achieve anything like the success that his predecessor enjoyed. With both Milan sides having failed to light up this year’s Champions League, and Inter thoroughly embarrassed by the exploits of Gareth Bale, it appears extremely unlikely at the moment that an Italian side will be lifting the trophy this year and the Champions League promotions reflect this.
With Spanish sides Real Madrid and Barcelona looking like the strongest contenders to win the competition this season, and English sides such as Chelsea and Manchester United always likely to be among the contenders to pick up the famous trophy when it comes to the final stages of the competition, the onus is on Italian football to once again pick itself up and force its way back to the top of European club football.
If Milan and Inter cannot achieve this sooner rather than later, then the gap between them and Europe’s elite may well be of too great a distance for them to narrow without significant investment in their squads. However, with the world economy still struggling, and few rich investors looking to put money into Italian football at the moment, it appears that there is currently no hero looking to rescue the game in that country.
Ultimately, should either Inter or Milan beat the Champions League betting odds and triumph in this season’s competition, then Italian football could well enjoy the success it needs to stay in the big time long-term.
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