De Siervo quite rightly pointed out, though, that the benefit of more than half of Serie A’s top teams building new homes will not be felt for a long time. “The new economic model will not be fully operational for at least six or seven years,” he admitted. “And, in the meantime, the gap with other leagues will continue to grow.”
The gap could also continue to grow from a sporting perspective, given Serie A is simply not in a position to compete with the Premier League in the transfer market. However, certain Italian clubs are showing that it’s not so much about how much money you have, but how well you spend it. Inter obviously reached two Champions League finals in three seasons thanks primarily to Beppe Marotta’s bargain buys, but Como are arguably an even better example of sensible squad-building.
Their remarkable rise to prominence would not have been possible without the financial support of the Djarum Group, but Cesc Fabregas’ side didn’t sweep Manchester United aside with expensive signings. They made a mockery of one of the highest-spenders in world football over the past decade with clever recruitment and a clear identity.
Como, just like Atalanta before them, have shown the rest of Serie A that it is possible to make a splash on the European scene by buying young and/or undervalued players – and playing offensive football. Of course, the fact that Frosinone are threatening to follow suit has still come as a massive surprise.
The newly-promoted side were widely tipped to go straight back down, but they currently sit sixth in Serie A – and what’s remarkable about their lofty position is that they’ve got there with a wonderfully expansive style of play. Frosinone have scored 24 times in just 10 games and their impressive strike-rate is representative of a significant shift in approach in Italy’s top flight.
While the Gazzetta dello Sport, among others, pointed out before the current campaign began that many of Serie A’s 20 teams were likely to line up in attacking formations, nobody was expecting a league synonymous with defensive football to go goal crazy. And yet, just under three months into the new season, four of the highest-scoring sides across Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues are Italian.
Frosinone and surprise leaders Lazio have both netted 24 times apiece, reigning champions Inter have 26 goals to their name, while only Barcelona have scored more league goals this season than Roma (28). The latter are managed by former Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini, and there is a growing feeling that Serie A is belatedly embracing a more direct and a more offensive game plan, after struggling for years to match the intensity of other top European teams, particularly those playing in the Premier League.
According to former Italy international Daniele Adani, this change in footballing philosophy is why Massimiliano Allegri is now toiling at Napoli, after being sacked by AC Milan at the end of last season. “His way of playing football is finished now,” the former defender told La Domenica Sportiva, and while that’s open to debate, given good defending is unlikely to ever go out of fashion in Italy, what’s clear is that Serie A is becoming quite the spectacle.
We’re seeing an average of three goals per game, while there have already been at least six in nine separate matches. In that context, it wasn’t in the least bit surprising that the night before Mikel Arteta’s awfully attritional Arsenal side strangled the life out of Liverpool in the most high-profile Premier League fixture of the weekend, AC Milan swept Inter aside in a dramatic Derby della Madonnina – just three days after being dismantled at San Siro Bologna, thus perfectly highlighting the incredibly competitive and wonderfully unpredictable nature of Serie A now.
As it stands, there are just five points separating the top four, and while it’s hard to say for sure whether the action will remain as compelling all season long, the potential is undoubtedly there to change the generally negative perception of Italian football as slow, boring and bereft of youthful enthusiasm.
Source: www.goal.com
