The highly awaited league reforms were announced this week through the press by the new president of F.I.G.C. Due to take place within 3 years, they aim to reset Serie A to European standards in terms of skill and facilities. Italy, in the words of Tavecchio, looks at England as it did back in the early 1900, when football was barely born and was fighting his way up in the ranking of Italian sport.
Changes will affect the number of Serie A teams (from the current 20 to 18), rosters will be reduced to 25 players, similar to UEFA regulations, 8 of them coming from youth teams of Italian citizenship. English style academies as well as Spanish and German style B teams were rejected, leaving room to multi-ownerships, as long as the teams play in different divisions. This last bit was received with skepticism as owner of Lazio, Claudio Lotito, who heavily backed Tavecchio for presidency, happens to possess 50% of Salernitana ( third division ), and rumor has it, he is also approaching AS Bari (Serie B).
There are clubs, on the other hand, like Inter Milan, that already established “collaboration” with lower league sides, to develop young players. Prato is a club from Italian lower tiers. “The neroazzurri” furnished the Tuscany side with a pack of young footballers coming from Inter youth squad, as well as a coach. Something similar happens at continental level between Manchester United and Antwerpen or Udinese and Granada to mention some cases. If the weaker clubs might benefit from these relationships from a monetary point of view, having to spend nothing and enrolling young talents at times, we are not sure the fans are happy to see their beloved colors used as a pond or a nursery.
Something was not mentioned in the reforms, and many Italians think it should have been, is safer stadiums. Italian venues are literally falling apart, many times because of lack of money, others because of political issues preventing city governing bodies from investing money in them. Few teams can afford new, modern facilities, discouraging great players from playing for a Serie A club. Something has to be done about it sooner or later. Setting standards, reducing number of seats and getting rid of athletic tracks could be a way to appeal to fans and investors in a more effective way.
The main goal is to have more Italian players in the top flight, reducing “de facto” the number of foreigners and keeping capitals within Serie A. In order to give a bigger and better choice to the national team, “the Azzurri” struggling so much during last international competitions, improving the local youth is essential, academies would have been a better way to go but at least something starts to move. These are just proposals that would go trough the heavy Italian bureaucratic path and changes have to be expected, hopefully for the better.
Saturday, after the international break, teams walked the field again. In the afternoon match, AS Roma payed visit to newly promoted Empoli, the night game was between Juventus and Udinese.
At the “Castellani” stadium, packed for the occasion, the Blues sided Michelidze and Tavano up front, while “Giallorossi” from the capital left Totti and Gervinho on the bench to give room to Destro as central forward, surrounded by Serbian young star Ljajic and Italian international Florenzi, both teams relying on possession game. From the stands a relaxed Spalletti, former AS Roma and most recently Zenit St.Peterburg coach, watched the game, ready to take over as soon as the first Serie A president makes a position available.
Empoli showed a bold attitude from the beginning, counter attacking at times, failing to score only because of technical decisions. AS Roma was a different team from the one we saw the previous week, but eventually their better gameplay organization prevailed and skilled players like Nainggolan made the difference. It was a shot fired from outside the box by Belgian-Indonesian born midfielder that gave the visitors the lead and in the end the victory. At the end of the day the club from the capital got the 3 points, which is all that matters at this point of the season. As for Empoli, they performed the way we expected, points will have to come against equal contenders.
In the evening Juventus was as solid as rock, dominating Udinese that can only claim penalty that was never given and a goal scored in offside position. Bianconeri confirmed what we saw against Chievo last week: a tendency to outplay who’s in front of them, terrific, almost unnatural… intensity, up until the last second from both starting elevens and bench players. Tevez opened the score with a well aimed shot, and towards the end, gave the assist for Marchisio to close it with a screamer from outside the box. The Turin born midfielder impressed for quality and commitment, finally elevating himself to a world class footballer. Late fielded Morata made his debut to SerieA, missing to score only because of a great save from Udinese’s goalie. Juventus is there, stronger than ever.
Stay tuned!
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