Serie A Teams A Shame To Football

It's strange to think that no Italian team made it to the quarter finals of either the  Champions League or the Europa League. Uefa saw that the coefficients would not benefit some of the big leagues in the world and undoubtedly Serie A was that league.

When the decision came out for the winner of the Europa League to play in the Champions League,  Italian teams should have embraced it in the best of fashions and given it a great shot.

Roma did not believe they could win against Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo and after the first leg it was accepted that they were out and rightly so because you don't lose in Rome and expect to progress in Madrid.

Juventus have been the torch and face of Serie A in a Europe for the past two years but how could they blow up a two goal lead at the Allianz arena when they knew that Italy needs to progress in order to get more teams in the Champions League. They have disappointed the lovers of serie A and to loyal fans of the Italian game,they  have let us down.

Another point that should be made rests on Lazio, Fiorentina and Napoli.  At the start of the second round of the Europa League Italy had three commanding teams of the old seven sisters and they were all doing great. But  heading into the quarters and there is no Italian team meaning for the third year running, Serie A would play with three teams in the Champions league and as per the draw for the preliminary qualifications,  one team could be eliminated back to the Europa League.

Lazio, Fiorentina and Napoli have failed to carry the torch for the second tier competition in Europe.

The question is if Italian teams cannot compete in the Europa League then  how are their chances with regards to the Super elite Champions league?

Simply put they have let fans of Italian soccer down and a shame to football.

El Sharaawy: Did Ac Milan Have A Youth Policy

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There are not many clubs in world football that has produced a lot of quality players

FC Barcelona without a doubt has come up with great squad from their La Masia academy but AC Milan has not done badly.

Milan has produced some exciting players and has let them join teams where they now flourish and there is one in Stephan El Sharaawy.

Massimo Donati was one of the young midfield sensations when he hit the stage in the early 2000’s as a youngster playing for Milan. Due to the availability and experience of the likes of Manuel Rui Costa, Clarence Seedorf, Massimo Ambrosini and Gennaro Ivan Gattuso, Donati could not cement a place in the Milan starting line-up. El Sharaawy in the early 2010’s faced the same problem due to his age. Donati’s life has never been better having played for Celtic Football club among a number of clubs.

Yoann Gourcuff was featured in Football Manager 2007 and 2008 and was even tagged the new Zinedine Zidane. Once again AC Milan allowed Gourcuff to leave on loan to Girondin Bordeaux and with time the deal became permanent. Gourcuff was one of the finest players around and had a unique way of posing himself for free kicks. Another Milan talent has gone waste because the club did not structure things well to see the creativity of such a talented midfielder.

Pierre Emerick Aubameyang has been tagged as the new face of African strikers. When he moved from Saint Etienne to Dortmund, many people ranked him next to nothing. But in just a few years he has turned from an average striker to a world class striker. He has scored 12 goals in all competitions this season which is bigger than the strikers of AC Milan combined.

This notwithstanding the fact that Carlos Bacca and Luis Adriano are churning out great performances for the red and black outfit and with time could do more. But the two players could have done more with the support of the flying winger Stephan El Sharaawy.

Aubameyang was a Milan youth product and once again he is helping grow Borussia Dortmund win games week in week out. Milan is in limbo and has gone from a World and European champion to a mid-table team in Serie A whose objectives for the season keeps changing with various match days.

Many people thought the sales of Shevchenko, Kaka, Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva would pave way for the likes of younger talents like El Sharaawy to develop in the team. Milan have other plans, sending them off and getting older players whose good days are all gone as there is no urgency to wear the iconic shirt.

Bryan Cristante is one of the finest midfielders that the world is going to see in the next two three years. Milan was on a project of building their youth to take up the roles that made Milan the best.

Last season Bryan Cristante was shipped to Benfica to add up to the already brimming talent of Nico Gaitan and to help Benfica win Laurels. Milan fans were not happy with this decision and they have been hit with another massive blow.

Stephan El-Sharaawy was loaned to AS Monaco at the back of a formation where he could not fit. An outmoded 4-3-1-2 position which saw the likes of Clarence Seedorf play as the attacking midfielder behind Ronaldo and Vieri at Internazionale Milano in the late 90’s. El Sharaawy fared well in the 4-3-3 position under Coach Massimiliano Allegri in the 2012/13 campaign.

NEWSPAPERS SPECULATING PERMANENT AS MONACO STAY FOR EL SHARAAWY

Reports coming out from tuttosport suggest that El Sharaawy’s deal is going to be made permanent so that he can continue to successfully help Monaco win games. Meanwhile Milan continues to struggle immensely and their fans cannot watch games but continue to find a meaning to the teams transfer policy.

Milan should have been lining up with the likes of El Sharaawy, Cristante, Aubameyang, Gourcuff and the addition of world class players like Carlos Bacca and Luis Adriano would have added invaluable support.

Now the big question and fear many Milanistas ask themselves is if the future of the team which was El Sharaawy has been made to complete a deal with AS Monaco, then how long are they going to hold onto the best under 20 player in the world being Hachim Mastour? Share your thoughts.

Europa League Should Be Italy’s Fourth Spot In The Champions League

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Italian teams have become preposterous in some of their planning. Lovers of the Italian game simply cannot come to terms why Uefa under Michel Platini has come up with such a great idea that the winner of the Uefa Europa League would be given an automatic berth to the Uefa Champions League and Italian teams failed to capitalize on such a great opportunity when Fiorentina and SSC Napoli made it to the semi-finals of the competition last season.

This season seems to be a great season for the three teams carrying the flag of the Serie A thus Napoli, Fiorentina and SS Lazio. Napoli has been in scintillating form and Fiorentina seems to have finally found the ground to scoring goals and winning matches back to the days where Roberto Baggio and Gabriel Batistuta made Florence a place where beautiful women and football was sort after, but they would have to bounce back after the loss to Lech Poznan.

Italian Serie A must win the Europa League season in an season out although it might seem a daunting task, the last four competitions experienced in Europe being the Champions league and Europa league has seen La liga win them all, Barcelona and Madrid winning the champions leagues and Sevilla winning the Europa League back to back.

Where are the days of Claudio Gentile who were more interested in the pride of playing football, defending your team and the league at large? It seems the days of Gennaro Ivan Gattuso, Franco Baresi, Michel Platini, Marco Van Basten and Giuseppe Favalli would never be seen again because of the less dedication and urgency being meted out by current footballers in the Italian Serie A.  

Serie A shocked the footballing world by spending more money than other leagues which came as a surprise from the footballing world because of the new crude method of joint ownership of players where players are bought from next to nothing. But frankly how has the Italian Serie A benefitted from such sales. It is not looking good for a league with so much tactics, abundance in skilled managers and great former footballers to be experiencing such embarrassment in Europe. The FIGC should not be there waiting for things to improve because contemporary footballers are more interested in making money than playing football.

Cristiano Ronaldo has broken Raul’s record but he still wants to score more goals. Lionel Messi has won the Champions league four times and would still want to win, why, because there is what we call urgency and a desire to do more.

Serie A needs to up their game; players in Serie A should in no way use the league as a stepping stone to getting bigger deals at other clubs because the Italian Serie A is the most competitive league this season with middle table clubs occupying the greatest spots.

This season lovers of Italian football are keeping a close eye on all the teams playing in Europe and once again they cannot fail Italian football. Forza Italia, Forza Serie A, Forza Football.

JUVENTUS AND AS ROMA CANNOT FAIL ITALIAN FOOTBALL IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

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It has been five seasons since Italian Football last won the Uefa Champions League, it hasn’t been easy as Serie A was once the ultimate but it fell down in recent times but the 2015/16 Serie A promises a lot of hope but we all live to see if performances of Serie A clubs would be anything to write home about.

With the Milan Clubs winning the last three trophies for Italian football back in 2003 and 2007 for AC MILAN and 2010 for INTER MILAN, it seems Italy’s representatives just go out there to be a part of it instead of taking the trophy to the home of football tactics.

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The relapse of the two Milan clubs who managed 8^th and 10^th last season and with third place Lazio winning the first leg but losing out to Bayer04 Leverkusen in the second leg means that Italians could not equalize to make it 3-3 between themselves and Germany. The whole of Italy from Milan to Sicily lies on them and the players who ply their trade for such clubs should know that they represent a great deal part of the seven sisters with only two standing.

Juventus FC did well last season having played in the Uefa Champions Final but lost to FC Barcelona and after that game lost their touch as the core of the team Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez have all move on and Gianluigi Buffon and Barzagli with some of the squad ageing. The introduction of Cuadrado, Mandzukic and Dybala would prove vital as the season progress. Europe should not be mistaken for the National league therefore Juventus FC, the heart of Serie A should do well and contribute all they can to first of all advance the group stage and carry on successfully from there. Their game against Manchester City would be watched by a lot of people but City have played five games, scored 11 goals and considered none, with 100% record whiles on the other hand, Juventus

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faces stiff competition from Florence and Milan. Massimiliano Allegri has benefitted from his time at Milan and the experience he has gotten from five years in the Champions league having played in the final at the last edition makes him a top notch manager who should assemble a great squad who would put the National Flag on the map.

AS ROMA seem to have found the perfect rhythm and squad to help them in both the league and the Champions League. The acquisitions of particularly Edin Dzeko from Manchester City is one of the highlights of the signings in Serie A as he can help them progress with his experience in different leagues having also played and won the Bundesliga for Wolfsburg. With the age and experience of Francesco Totti  and the evergreen and dependable Daniele De Rossi, one of the two torches is in the hands of the Capital Club and Italians would be supporting no matter what in order to see the country at the pinnacle of world football.

Juventus Fc and AS Roma would shine because they don’t have any option. The other teams and fans should do well and support the two teams so that their performances would effect on the league positively.

WHAT TO EXPECT (DERBY): THE AC MILAN AND INTER MILAN AFFAIR

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The Milan Derby is back this weekend and this season the two teams have strengthened their squads and would make life difficult for reigning champions Juventus. It wasn’t an easy Mercato for both sides but the 2015/16 fixture is reminiscent of the 2009/10 season where they played the derby in the second match day this time round, it is the third match day.

Internazionale Milano have had a perfect start to the season having won their first two matches and AC Milan’s performances have been average as the players are still trying to find rhythm.

With both teams out of Europe and witnessing the ground they play their home games used for the Uefa Champions League Final 2016, the two teams performances in this derby is one that would prove to the world and more importantly to Italians that the two dominant Italian clubs in Europe are back.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

INTER MILAN

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Jeffrey Kondogbia snubbed Ac Milan for Internazionale Milano and he would like to prove a vital point why he was purchased for such a huge sum from French Club AS Monaco. Joao Miranda has become a great part of the Brazilian team in recent times and having transferred from Atletico Madrid where he formed one of the deadlines pairs with Diego Godin would use his experience in helping Internazionale win this game so that they would have a perfect start to the season and a great chance to win the Serie A and head back to Europe. Stephan Jovetic has become a new man. He came out from Fiorentina and was used as a better substitute at Manchester City but his loan move back to Serie A has seen him regain the form that made him a sort after wonderkid and he would surely want one over the red and black outfit.

MILAN

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Luis Adriano’s transfer from Shaktar to Ac Milan was much of a surprise to the fans, but having won many champions in the Ukranian league, he feels he needs a new energy and have gotten the chance to shine. His goal was vital in helping Milan win their second game against Empoli and he would surely like to score and secure his name in the hearts of the faithful Rossoneri fans who value derby wins.

Carlos Bacca has been good and having won the Europa League twice in succession, his move from Sevilla was a shock for the footballing world as Milan’s purchases in contemporary times were on small money deals, loans and co-ownerships. His form is lightning up and he has played two games in the league and has done a great deal of transition from La Liga’s passing game to Serie A’s tactical setup where teams prepare hard for matches.

Keisuke Honda has been average for the Rossoneri fans and with the 4-3-1-2 formation back in action and the two forwards cemented in the form of Luis Adriano and Carlos Bacca, the trequartista role is up for grabs and if gets the nod to shine, he would do it with all he can in order to cement a place in the starting lineup for Milan.

Mario Balotelli has his last chance and tempers would be rising on his return onto the only ground he knows best having played for the two teams.

Whatever happens many inferences would be drawn from the game and the whole world would experience for themselves whether the two rival clubs have prepared and can challenge for honours this season.