May 2013
www.tuttoseriea.co.uk
Why Juventus should be wary in bringing back Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Page 1) Unmasking Paolo Di Canio! (Page 4) Serie A Manager of the season (Page 8) Inter or Milan? Who got the better deal from the Cassano‐Pazzini Swap (Page 13) Who has been Juventus’s player of the season? (Page 17) Why don’t Serie A teams take the Europa League Seriously? (Page 21)
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Why Juventus should be wary in bringing back Zlatan Ibrahimovic By Mahmoud Ghellai In many ways Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the protypical modern football player. Tall, strong, athletic and, perhaps most importantly, has almost no loyalty to his club. One‐ man clubs are becoming more and more rare as the years go by, but Zlatan is almost truly an example of a soccer mercenary. He’s played for six teams since 2004 and is the world’s most expensive player in history in terms of collective transfer fees. Juventus fans will remember him for winning two Serie A titles, albeit taken away as a result of Calciopoli scandal. After the trials Ibrahimovic famously said, “Referees did us favors? Oh come on! We fought hard on the pitch. We risked our legs and did it all without any help from referees. It's all a load of crap”. However only a few weeks later he was sold to archrivals Inter Milan.
Since then he has gone from strength to strength winning the Serie A title three times with Inter Milan and once with AC Milan along with a Liga title with Barcelona.
His supremacy in the Serie A was finally undone by none other than Juventus, reinvigorated by the hiring of club legend Antonio Conte, who went undefeated throughout the league and won it from AC Milan
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After Milan Ibrahimovic moved to newly cash‐rich club Paris Saint‐Germain in a double swoop for him and teammate Thiago Silva. This year he leads the Champion’s League in assists while also is on his way to finishing as Ligue 1 top scorer and winning the title as well. Lately there has been talk of a reunion of Ibrahimovic and Juventus and it appears that the player is becoming open to the idea of a return to the club where he first made his name. On paper, it appears to be the perfect signing for Juventus; they have badly needed a true striker to put away the large number of chances their midfield creates and their inefficiency in front of goal is very well‐known. In fact, the lack of a true striker has hindered Juventus from winning the league outright last year and was a major factor in their loss to Bayern Munich in the Champion’s League quarterfinal. Ibrahimovic would immediately bring some pedigree to the front line while also having the ability to put the chances given to him. He also has excellent hold‐up play and would be able to bring and use the wingers around him.
Juventus should be warned before bringing Ibra back to Turin. For one, Ibrahimovic has never been one to play as just an out‐and‐out striker and demands to have the ball and be the centerpiece of a team. While this has been effective in winning league titles, Ibrahimovic’s team seem to have a knack for not being able to get far in the Champion’s League and for good reason. Despite popular belief that he is just a big‐game flop, what most teams realize when playing a team with Ibra on it, is that if they take him out of the game, his team will run out of ideas and lose simply because they have no Plan B if their usual chucking of the ball up field to Ibrahimovic fails. 2
Therefore to bring in Ibrahimovic would require a change of tactics, but also it would change the locker room spirit. Juventus’ locker room now consists of a tightly knit group of players who fight tooth and nail for Conte and never relent in their work ethic and refuse to be taken down by any hindrances, exemplified by their strong form while Conte served a six‐ month suspension from the bench. Ibrahimovic is more of a selfish player and wont back down for any coach, and as a result this could lead him to being a misfit and an outcast among the players and coaches. The same happened in Barcelona when Ibrahimovic was eventually relegated to the bench and sold just a year after becoming Barcelona’s record transfer purchase.
Ibrahimovic’s pedigree and talent is something any team would want on theirs, his selfish attitude is something against what is being valued among the current Juventus set‐up. Veterans in the mold of Pirlo should be the focus of Juventus and while Llorente is an excellent addition, if Juventus are really want to find a world‐class striker they should look no further than Napoli hitman Edinson Cavani who has the work rate, pace and finishing ability that Juventus desperately needs and he comes much younger than Ibrahimovic, being 26 to Ibra’s 31. His price tag however is much higher, but Juventus should find some way to bring him into the team. As for Ibrahimovic, sometimes it’s better to let go of the past.
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Unmasking Paolo Di Canio! There has been much in the news recently about newly promoted Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio. The former player has been heralded and heckled, adored and abhorred; his radical political views have been a constant thorn in the side of his public image. In addition, his career was marred by controversy on and off the pitch, making him somewhat of an enigma to people all across Europe. Here is an attempt to make more sense of the oft misunderstood Italian. Born in Rome, Di Canio was a diehard Lazio fan from the day he was born. As a boy he was un‐athletic, and physically awkward; however, through the work‐ethic which defined his career as a player he, he persevered, developing speed, incredible ball skills, and the overall talent necessary to be noticed by Lazio in 1985 at age 17. Never a true prima punta, or bomber, Di Canio made his mark as a support striker, or seconda punta, using his great ball skills, and ingenuity to create chances.
Throughout his early career, Di Canio struggled to stay put on any one team, spending 5 years at Lazio before moving to Juventus, Napoli, and even performing well with the great Milan teams of the 90s. His early career in Italy was characterized by dynamic personality, sometimes struggling to control his passion. A falling out with Juve boss Giovanni Trappatoni saw him out of Turin, and he eventually had to look outside of Italy to see his career out.
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After spending 11 seasons in Italy and totaling 23 goals, he moved to Celtic for one season and was beloved by the Ultras in Glasgow. While there he hit a game winning penalty, struck 12 goals in 24 league matches, had a song created about him, and won the player of the year award, but also stormed off the pitch in practice in protest of the inferior players surrounding him, and called the club chairman a liar and traitor. It is no surprise that he once again left amid controversy after only lasting one season. The highlights of his career came following his move to England, where, after scoring 15 goals in 41 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday, he earned a midseason move to West Ham where he would stay for four and half seasons. While at West Ham he would go on to score some absolutely fantastic goals, and make some absolutely head scratching decisions. After receiving a red card in a match vs Arsenal, he let his temper get the best of him and shoved the referee picking up a 10 match ban. Despite missing so many games he was still awarded the OPTA Stat Player of the year award, and the next year went on to win FIFA's Fair Play award for catching a cross instead of shooting on goal after the opposing goalie had gone down injured.
Inquiries for his services from Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United came for two consecutive years, however it was never meant to be. Di Canio returned to Lazio after West Ham were relegated in 2003, his remaining time there most likely best sums him up. He took a major pay cut just to return, and sparkled on the pitch despite his advanced years. However controversy followed him here too as his fascist salutes to the Ultras, a group termed Irriducibili Lazio, in the stadium were not well received. However, the salutes continued as did Di Canio's form; his passion for the game, for Lazio, for the Ultras whom he considered his good friends, for his lifestyle continued, and he would eventually fade into the sunset with Serie C2 side, Cisco Roma.
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After his days as a player Di Canio began his career as a manager with Swindon Town in 2011, getting them promoted to league one. He has since moved on to Sunderland and is currently in the process of attempting to save them from relegation. He has secured 6 points from 3 matches so far only falling to Chelsea at respectable score line of 1‐2. It has once again not been without headlines, as his fascist political views have come into question, and he is now denying them.
Still in the infancy of his managerial career, Di Canio is showing all the potential to be great, and all the potency needed for self destruction. His attention to detail is incredible, and his ability to get the most out of his players is evident in promotion with Swindon and upset of Everton while at Sunderland. Always and forever an enigma, he is predictable in his unpredictability, and ever passionate. As great as he was a player, he can be greater still as a manager. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, Paolo Di Canio.
By Anthony Cooper
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Serie A Manager of the Season? By Richard Postin As another Serie A season draws to a close it’s time to take a closer look at the records of the men in control. Now as we all know the life of a Serie A manager is never easy, with temperamental Presidents hardly missing an excuse to dismiss their managers! This year we have seen a ‘mere’ 13 sackings with 4 changes coming at Palermo, the club which has the misfortune of being run by the increasingly senile Maurizio Zamparini! Here I take a look at those who have survived the sack and led the most successful campaigns...
6. Giampiero Ventura Not an obvious candidate but a man who deserves credit as the only manager still in work of the 3 promoted sides, which is quite an achievement in any league these days! He nurtured a solid defence which saw his Torino side concede just 10 in their opening 12 games. This kept them clear of the relegation zone, something they have since maintained through their attacking threat; most notably through winger Alessio Cerci. Ventura has got the best out of the former party animal, known for his off field antics, to the extent that he has even earned a call up to the Italy squad.
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5. Massimo Allegri
The Milan manager has his critics but he has done remarkably well considering the summer transfer policy which saw the departure of both star and experienced players alike. Allegri has overseen a successful transitional season in which he has given time to young players like El Shaarawy and De Sciglio, who can now consider themselves important players in both the Milan and Azzurri set up. Under Allegri, Milan have developed a style of play, with both width and pace; something which caused Barcelona all sorts of problems in the
4. Walter Mazzarri
Napoli keep on improving year on year. This did not seem likely when Lavezzi left in the summer, but Mazzarri has arguably developed a more rounded side this year even if Cavani and Hamsik do still stand out as key players. Under his guidance, Napoli are on course to achieve their best points tally since their return to the top flight, and have cemented 2nd place. Unfortunately, they never really pushed Juventus hard enough, and Mazzarri must thus look to exert greater influence in the big matches against rivals if Napoli are to truly challenge for Lo Scudetto.
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3. Rolando Maran
Maran had the unenviable challenge at Catania of following a hugely successful campaign under the stewardship of Vincenzo Montella. Yet Maran has actually built on this, improving the side which has already reached last year’s points tally and look to have secured a minimum 9th place finish, having never dropped out of the top half of the table all year. No mean feat for a club with the 17th highest budget in the league and similarly low wages. They have also shown a fearless attitude having put in some excellent performances against the bigger sides. They have beaten Fiorentina and Roma, trounced Lazio 4‐0, were two extremely controversial goals away from defeating Champions elect Juventus and were leading Inter 2‐0 which would have seen them leapfrog the Milanese giants until late goals turned things around. Maran deserves praise for consolidating Catania’s reputation as a solid mid‐table side that, under his guidance, have proved more than capable of mixing it with the best in the league.
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2. Antonio Conte
A potentially tricky campaign which saw Conte controversially banned for the first 15 games of the season during which Juve suffered defeats against both Milanese clubs. His importance to the team has never been in doubt as it is the strong bond he has with the players which brings out their incredible work ethic. The influence Conte commands over seasoned professionals of the calibre of Chiellini, Buffon and Pirlo is testament to his extraordinary talents. Legendary keeper Buffon even declared he was the best manager he had worked under, stating that “Having Conte in the dressing room makes it impossible for anyone to go out on to the pitch not focused on the task at hand." And so it has proved as they have dominated Serie A, always holding off their challengers at arm’s length. Conte’s Juve performed admirably in their debut Champions league, putting in a number of fine displays to outclass the likes of Chelsea and Celtic, before coming unstuck against the might and power of Bayern Munich. They will have gained valuable experience in this defeat, and you can be sure that a side with Conte at the helm will be chomping at the bit to go even further next year.
Before we move onto number 1! I think it would be fair to say the Zdenek Zeman project at Roma didn’t work out, however Francesco Totti has been in stunning form in his 20th season as a professional. Totti himself has attributed this to his former manager, and so for rejuvenating Totti, Zeman deserves the praise of every football fan out there! 11
1. Vincenzo Montella There can only be one man! Awarded the Enzo Bearzot Manager of the year award for the 2012 calendar year, Montella got off to a tricky start in 2013 but has since led his Fiorentina side up the table to 4th and on the cusp of Champions League qualification. A remarkable achievement for a manager who inherited a side that, having flirted with relegation, finished a measly 13 the previous year. He immediately laid down the law to a squad packed with both talent and indiscipline. In fact one of his first acts as manager was to demand players unroll their shorts, transforming training from sunbathing time back into the sessions they should be. Yet his man management has galvanised the squad into playing sparkling attacking football. Montella is getting the best out of his Balkan attackers Jovetić and Ljajić but it is his tactics in midfield which have been most impressive. He has incorporated Borja Valero, Aquilani and Piazaro into his central midfield, 3 creative players who have combined well to create chances aplenty. This is undoubtedly one of the factors which has made them the 3rd highest scorers in the land, highlighted by the fact they have scored 4 goals a match on no less than 5 occasions. The range of creative talents makes them a difficult foe, evidenced as Juventus are the only other side to have 5 players who have provided 5 assists or more. Montella has completely transformed a squad which had flopped so badly the previous year, by bringing focus and discipline to a side now playing arguably the most attractive football in Italy!
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Inter or Milan, who got the better of Cassano – Pazzini Swap? By Himanshu Dhingra They were once team mates at Sampdoria and this summer they came eye to eye once again all be it over for a very brief moment while moving in opposite directions across the Della Madonnina. Cassano and Pazzini completed their swap deal on 21st August 2012 with Inter getting an extra €7 ‐ €7.5 million. So who has had the better of the swap deal is it Inter or is it Milan?
Looking at the statistics for both the players suggests that there is not too much of a difference. Cassano in his time at Inter has played in 38 games and has scored 9 goals and has 12 assists. Pazzini on the other hand has played in 32 games scoring 14 goals and assisting in 3 of them. At Sampdoria during the three seasons they were there, they had similar statistics Cassano made 87 appearances scoring 30 and assisting in 22 while Pazzini scored 45 and assisted in 3. These statistics do give an idea as to what kind of players they are. However what these statistics do not tell you is the fact that Cassano was an instant hit at Inter, who made a decent fist of the Scudetto and brought to an end Juventus’s 49 match unbeaten run. 6 out of Cassano’s 9 goals and 7 out of his 12 assists came in first half of 2012‐13 season. Take away Pazzini’s hat‐trick against Bologna in September he scored only 5 goals from August to December and this included a run of 12 games without a goal in all competitions for a Milan Side that spent most of their time in the bottom half of the table and were as hapless as Pazzini. 13
Looking at players’ history while you cannot find too much fault with Pazzini’s professionalism the same can not be said about his one time teammate. In fact you could make a full movie and a sequel from it. Ever since becoming world’s most expensive teenager there have been Incidents after incidents of his rashness and arrogance. These include throwing shirts at referees, falling out with coaches, one after the other. Cassano also had a public falling out with Riccardo Garrone after he refused to attend an award ceremony and that effectively ended his Sampdoria career and no one will ever forget his amazing rant at his former AS Roma boss Luciano Spalletti, showing total disrespect to not only the coach but his fellow professionals.
If the news is to be believed then it was his frosty relationship with the AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri that prompted him to hand in a transfer request and he has already had a public falling out with Inter manager Andrea Stramaccioni which could very well end his career at the Nerazzurri. The tantrums have not been limited at only club level; even at international level Cassano has had his falling outs (allegedly punching Lippi’s son). That would explain earning only 35 caps for the Azure in almost 10 years; scoring 10 and assisting in 3 goals. Pazzini on the other hand has been a regular for Italy since 2009 appearing 25 times scoring 6 and assisting in a solitary goal.
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While there may be very little or no doubt that Cassano is a better football player and has more tools, you can’t ignore the other facts of the deal. Cassano is reportedly on €6 million a year plus bonuses whereas Pazzini is close to €2.5 million a year. Cassano would be turning 31 later this year and one could argue his best may now be behind him, where as Pazzini is two years younger. One can’t also not emphasize the fact that €7 ‐ €7.5 million were also paid by Milan to Inter. You can counter balance that by saying that Pazzini’s goals could bring Champions league to Milan; Then again how much will he play with the arrival of Balotelli & Bojan and emergence of players like El Shaarawy & Niang. The only positive being that Milan could recoup some money should they decide to sell Pazzini. Cassano as has already been mentioned is a flawed genius who may be moving on again in the summer. In addition, Cassano is becoming injury prone because of his bad eating habits. As to who has had the better deal out of the two Milanese giants, taking all the aspects into account I will go with Milan; just!
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Who has been Juve’s player of the season? Juventus are on the verge of securing their second Scudetto in as many seasons. Though this season lacks the magical feel of their perfect triumph last year, Juve have already won 24 matches in 2013 – one more than their 23 wins in 2012. Though eliminated from Champions League contention, this Juve squad is still comparable to last year's perfect side thanks to two familiar faces and a few other players. Juve's top five footballers are as follows;
5 – Leonardo Bonucci This season, Bonucci has stepped up his play in the absence of Giorgio Chiellini, who has battled several injuries this year. Bonucci has taken over the role of the defense's anchor when Chiellini is inactive and has allowed the bianconeri to once again sport the most ferocious back line in Italy. Thanks in part to Bonucci, Juve have won more matches (24) than goals they have allowed (21).
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4 – Paul Pogba Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United looks like a bit of a fool for letting the 20‐year‐old Pogba leave his club to join Juventus during the offseason. The young Frenchman has become a fan favorite at Juventus and brings dynamic speed, vision and ball control to the table during each of his 25 appearances. He is a threat from almost any distance, as he showed with his very first goal in a 2‐0 victory over Napoli back in February. Each of his five goals have come in key fixtures. Though he is no Andrea Pirlo (yet), he is one of the football world's brightest prospects and has nowhere to go but up. Plus, he has one of the most satisfying names to joyfully scream in world football.
3 – Arturo Vidal Vidal, who leads all Juventus midfielders in goals, did all of the scoring in Juve's 2-0 triumph over Lazio on April 15. His eight goals and seven assists have really helped this Juve side that tends to lack a scoring punch up front. He operates like an engine and has a knack for finding players in open space; his drive and determination are reasons why he is one of Juve's top players this season. Though he has been linked to transfer rumors, the most recent reports say that Vidal will remain with the club next year. He will be a key component of Juve's next title defense if he does indeed stick around.
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2 – Andrea Pirlo Pirlo has once again stood out as one of the very best midfielders in the world. Though his statistics (5 goals, 5 assists) are a bit down from last season (3 goals, 13 assists), he still provides Juventus with some of the world's greatest field vision, passing precision and tempo control. Also a reliable set piece taker, Pirlo is the nucleus of Juve's strong midfield that has put this squad in contention for another Scudetto. Though he isn't the team's MVP this year, he definitely wins a different award: MVB – Most Valuable Beard.
1 – Gianluigi Buffon Let the facts speak for themselves: this season, Buffon has made 71 saves and 14 of his 30 appearances have resulted in clean sheets. If that isn't enough to prove that Gigi is Juve's best player this season, maybe this is: Buffon recorded shutouts in five consecutive Champions League games against some of Europe's finest football clubs. Yes, Buffon's success is due in part to Juve's stout defense, but no other team in Italy sports a goal differential as lopsided as Juve's plus‐43 mark. Every good club is driven by a great goalkeeper, and every cup‐winning club is driven by a world‐class goalkeeper. Though he may have lost a step, Buffon has once again proven that he is among the best in the world at his position and has been Juventus' Most Valuable Player during the quest for a 31st league championship.
By Nicholas Farrell
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Why Don’t Serie A take the Europa League seriously? By Mahmoud Ghellai
The UEFA Champion’s League is one of the world’s most watched and anticipated tournaments, by fans and players alike. Not only does winning the coveted ‘Big Ears’ trophy mean putting your name into club folklore for the players and coaches but it also means large increases in cash revenues from bonuses, gate receipts, etc. A prime example is Chelsea, whom have been tightening their transfer purses, but suddenly after winning last year’s Champion’s League went on a spending spree of over 80 million euros, bringing in the likes of Eden Hazard, Victor Moses, Oscar, amongst other players. Forgotten in all this is Europe’s second competition, its ‘ugly sister’; the Europa League. Originally called the UEFA Cup, UEFA changed the name two years ago in order to garner more interest into the tournament but almost to no avail.
Clubs and players avoid the competition at all costs, while the bigger clubs look to participating in the tournament as a disgrace and more of a nuisance than anything with true prestige worth winning. This is not more evident in any of Europe’s big leagues than the Serie A. No team from Serie A has participated in the Europa League final since 1998‐99 when Parma defeated Marseille 3‐0 at the Luzhniki Stadium.
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It is shocking is that in the previous 10 years before this, seven Serie A teams won the UEFA Cup, while five were runner‐ups including four finals in which it was an all Serie A affair. In fact the Serie A boasts the most winners (9) and their six runner‐ups participants to the Bundesliga’s eight. Also, Juventus and Inter Milan are the have each won three times, tied with Liverpool for the most in the tournament’s history. So why has Serie A suddenly gone missing? It is not for lack of quality teams in the league with Lazio and Inter Milan participating in this year’s tournament, with also Juventus and AC Milan also taking part in recent years. So if it is not a lack of excellent teams, why is Serie A not excelling in Europe’s second tournament?
in the world and therefore the quality of soccer and competition was at an elite level unlike today, with all due respect to the tournament. For example, if in the old format, the Europe League this year would’ve consisted of Barcelona, AC Milan, Napoli, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Paris Saint‐ Germain. No one in today’s world would’ve missed such mouth‐watering clashes.
The first is that the Champion’s League once used to only consist of only champion’s of each country’s respective leagues. Thus it was extremely difficult to reach the tournament, and the UEFA Cup was regarded as a tournament that consistently had the best teams
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However in the 1990s, UEFA changed the format to include more teams, along with a group phase and now the top three leagues in the world have as many as four teams participating in the tournament every year while others have from three to one representative in the league. Since this was done, the UEFA Cup gradually started to lose its luster and prestige and slowly its importance started to die in the eyes of the club and players. It is because of this lose of prestige that Serie A clubs, indeed most of Serie A fans, look at the Europa League with disdain and don’t care much for how their teams fare in the tournament. In fact, at times it appears that fans are relived that the nuisance of Thursday night soccer is no longer on their schedule. Another main issue is the timing of the tournament. In order to avoid clashing with the big name Champion’s League, the Europa League has games on Thursday nights, which can be difficult for teams and players as some of them will have league games on Fridays and Saturdays, leaving many players with only one day of rest before training in preparations of league games. With the amount of games a player can play a year increasing more and more to sometimes over 60‐70 games a year, the risk of injury and fatigue rises exponentially.
Which brings us to another major issue that Serie A clubs and fans have; injuries. Too many times in the Europa League players are getting injured and fans and club hierarchy both appear to feel that the low prestige of the tournament and the consequent jeopardizing of their league hopes is not worth the risk of losing your star players. To find examples of this thinking, one only needs to look at Tottenham and Inter Milan from this year’s Europa League. Tottenham’s star player and the newly crowned PFA Player of the Year Gareth Bale suffered an ankle injury against Lyon and this in turn threatened Tottenham’s hopes of reaching a top‐four spot and the Champion’s League football it represents. Their form has suffered as a immediate result and surely the coach Andre Villas‐Boas must be ruing the injury to Bale if they do not reach the Champion’s League next year, especially since it could directly impact Bale’s departure. 23
Inter Milan has also suffered via a devastating injury of their own in top striker Diego Milito. Although Inter Milan has hit some extreme heights (ending Juventus’ 49‐game league unbeaten streak) and some very spectacular lows (dreadful run of form since), Diego Milito was one of the lone shining lights in a campaign full of pain and hope. Scoring nine goals in the 20 appearances in the league, Milito succumbed to a horrific cruciate ligament injury in the Round of 32 matchup against CFR Cluj. This injury typically takes about 6 months to a year to recover from, while some touted that it could be a career‐ending injury for the 33‐ year old. Ever since Inter Milan have suffered offensively and while Rodrigo Palacio has performed honorably in his stead before suffering an injury of his own, they have not been the same team since.
Once all these factors are looked at its not hard to understand why the Europa League is basically non‐existent in the eyes of Serie A clubs. However it has impacted the Serie A in a major way, as their terrible results in the Europa League have demoted them into fourth place in the coefficients UEFA ranking, and more importantly removed one Champion’s League spot leaving them at three teams. Therefore perhaps for the sake of the greater good of Serie A, teams should hold the tournament with more prestige but you’d be hard‐pressed to find a team willing to take a potential hit for the league.