It is indeed referred to as “The Beautiful Game” by many, after all. Who could have predicted that in a group containing three former FIFA World Cup champions that the lowly CONCACAF representative Costa Rica would have finished atop the table with seven points? It appears that for Italy it will be yet another disappointing rebuilding period for a nation obsessed with soccer, another coach and a new direction.
Italy’s failures on the world stage are but a microcosm of its problems at the domestic level. Slowly, year after year, the rate of Italians in Serie A has been dwindling and the number of foreigners increasing. Examine this principle logically – if you are a club trying to make a splash in the transfer market, who are you more willing to sign? A ready-made foreigner who has match experience at the highest level in their domestic league or a local kid with little experience? It is a no-brainer, especially if the foreigner attracts a different demographic, perhaps increasing the international standing of the club and shirt sales.
Look at it from the other perspective as well; if you are a top club would you be willing to sell your players to clubs playing in the same league if there is the possibility of them returning to play against you (and haunt you)? This is why players like Pablo Osvaldo, Emmanuele Giaccherini, Domenico Criscito, Salvatore Sirigu, Marco Verratti, Ciro Immobile, Fabio Borini and many more have left Italian shores.
Here is the result; Fiorentina and Colombia star Juan Cuadrado regards that Serie A has “helped Colombia become stronger”. This is the case when seven members of his national team ply their trade in the premier division on the peninsula – Yepes, Zuniga, Armero, Zapata, Guarin and Ibarbo.
Revenue of Italian teams has also been in decline, due to lower attendance averages stemming from an overall general decline in popularity following the Calciopoli scandal of 2006 plus the surge of affordable alternative sports available such as basketball. On the bright side clubs are beginning to invest in stadia suitable for a top-flight league. This not only allows for a better time to be had by all during their stay but by enhancing the match-day experience and incorporating various shops, restaurants and attractions relevant to the club, attendances are guaranteed to be on the rise and thus a significant boost to club incomes are to be enjoyed.
Take Juventus and their new ground, packing it to the brim on most evenings – it is a wonderful example of this concept. If all goes as planned AS Roma will be following suit and unveil their new privately owned ground by 2015, soon to be followed by many others across the boot. Many cherished pitches have been untouched since the 1990 FIFA World Cup – almost a quarter of a century ago. Just one look at the player’s entranceway to the stadium in the San Paolo of Naples is enough to send shudders down one’s spine.
In short, Italy are becoming more and more like their rivals (and fellow failure) England domestically circa 2010 – a thinning pool of talent plus an unwillingness to invest in youth with the allure of foreign stars too much to contain. To put the Italian national team back on the right path, let alone Serie A, a mandatory minimum homegrown contingent per squad must be put in place as it has in England. This goes hand in hand with investing in privately owned stadia – Italy must be able to compete financially as well as physically. So begins the aching process, one which their World Cup victory in 2006 attempted to mask but has since been uncovered – Italian soccer might just crumble apart if action is not undertaken swiftly.
For more on sports injuries, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Thank you for reading. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Main Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images
