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The Revival of Calcio

November 5th, 2009 | By: Julian | 22 Comments »

For years all we’ve been hearing about is how great the English and Spanish clubs are, about how much better they are than our “aging” Italian clubs. Based on recent CL performances, that looks to be out the window.

First of all, I just want to knock on wood before I post this. I realize there are still 2 more games to go in the CL and no Italian team is qualified yet, but there’s still reason to celebrate.

Reason one: Fiorentina are just about to knock Liverpool out of the CL. Yes, you read that right. The Italian team which didn’t win a single game last year in this competition is on the verge of knocking out one of the competition’s biggest teams. One more win for the Viola and the Scousers will be enjoying the Europa Cup. Prandelli has been a masterclass this season and Jovetic in particular has stood out brightly- proving that Italy is not just the place for old stars.

Nope, that place is instead AC Milan. And that has been a pretty good thing for them so far. They beat Real Madrid away and tied them at home, results which surely have Perez already looking for a new manager. Say what you want about Milan’s age, but they’re again proving that the CL is their natural home.

Home for one half of Milan, maybe, but not quite yet for the other half. Inter top their group today but still have to play Barca away in a group that could well go to the death. Juve too look like a safe bet to progress but with a game against Bayern coming up, anything could happen.

But let’s not worry about that just yet. Let’s revel in the fact that for the first time a while, 4 Italian teams could progress to the knockout stages and only 3 English teams might. Our UEFA coefficient-and reputation- should be safe for a while longer.

Tags: Champions League, Fior, Group E, Inter, Jovetic, Juve, Milan, Prandelli

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Comments | Add your comment

By hant00 | November 5th, 2009 at 12:25 am

perhaps not right now, but it would be great if either you or Italy Offside guy come up with a post calculating the development of our coefficient race vs Germany. Thanks.

Posted from Australia

By Julian | November 5th, 2009 at 12:49 am

That’s a fantastic idea. I’ll have to look more into it cause I’m not sure exactly how it works but I’ll have a post up in a few days.

Posted from United States

By Nnahoj | November 5th, 2009 at 5:14 am

Just for the record (as no one else seems to realize) Juve’s next game is away to Bordeaux, who is already qualified.

By matty t | November 5th, 2009 at 8:50 am

juve, milan, inter, fiorentina r all goin through!
inter will get knocked out next round, juve and prolly fiorentina will go to quarters, and milano will win it for the 3rd time this decade! thats my prediction and u heard it here from me first

By Caroe | November 5th, 2009 at 9:06 am

You could just use this:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/data/method4/crank2010.html

Italy have performed better than Spain this season. How about that?

Posted from Denmark

By alessio | November 5th, 2009 at 11:54 am

Now let’s hope for Roma, Lazio, and Genoa to qualify.

By Mike R | November 5th, 2009 at 12:36 pm

Fiorentina beat Steaua Bucharest 1-0 last year, the one game we won in the competition last year

By Gio | November 5th, 2009 at 6:16 pm

Another dominating display from Italian teams (except the blue side of Rome), and another douching of EPL teams. Loving it!

Posted from United States

By Pepe | November 5th, 2009 at 7:10 pm

Whilst I agree with the sentiments expressed, are you sure guys are Italian? Do you not know the bad luck involved in counting your chickens before they have hatched. At this current point not only can all 4 Italian teams go through but all 4 Italian teams could go out as well. The only team genuinely sitting pretty is Juve who only require a point.

Fiorentina too only require a point but allow me to steal something from someone briefly, I quote:

“A few points from a Fiorentina follower:

1. Lyon beat us 1-2 at home in the Champions League last year.

2. There is a feeling of animosity between the sides – Lyon scored a highly controversial goal in the game at the Stade de Gerland which resulted in a bit of a brawl – tensions still seemed to be running high this year, when Alberto Gilardino was sent off for an elbow. The two sides don’t like each other and Lyon will not want to roll over.

3. Our best centre-back, Alessandro Gamberini, pulled up last night with a hamstring injury – we look very dodgy without him.

4. Liverpool should turn over Debrecen easily – we put nine goals past them in two games without playing our best football.

5. I don’t fancy our chances at Anfield. If we lose to Lyon and Liverpool beat Debrecen, then Liverpool just neat to beat us at Anfield (our away record in Europe is abysmal) to qualify.

Much as I’m looking forward to laughing at Liverpool, I’m not going to
start yet.”

Of course it’s an unlikely scenario, but in football as we all know, anything can happen.

Inter NEED to beat either Barca (again, unlikely) or Rubin, the team that beat and drew with Barca)

Milan, we all know the Real results, and the genuinely unfair dissallowing of Silva and Pato’s goals BUT, do we forget how easily they capitulated to Zurich? They do that again and I’ll bet they’re out.

Yes, all this is unlikely and things look rosy, but please, for the sake of my sanity and our nation’s superstitions, wait until we’re all through to celebrate or declare the revival of something that has never ever died.

By mohd | November 6th, 2009 at 2:00 am

well said pepe i was rying to comment about bad luck too. anyway all our teams should be focused untill the fifth round at least and good luck for our Italians team

By mikederob | November 6th, 2009 at 11:04 am

hey…the azzurri are playing holland in about a week in a friendly. what do you reckon? will lippi experiment? who would you put in the team? who’s worth giving a trial in this, the earliest of stages before the actual tournament?

Posted from Australia

By Tony | November 6th, 2009 at 11:55 am

We got holland on the 14th and sweden on the 18th, could be time for some experimentation, pazzini could be called up

Posted from Canada

By Marco | November 6th, 2009 at 12:31 pm

Balotelli should be called and so should Giovinco. These two have played very well in the last month on both the domestic stage and cl. Since this is an exhibition it should be a great time to give these two a try. Not to mention Santon and Rossi were initailly thrown onto the national team for a lot less than what these two have been doing.

Then you have the obvious call up experiments to make. Lippi would be an idiot not to end the cassano feud now and call him up for these games, along with pazzini and foggia. I would also call Cigarini, a bright spot at napoli, and a pair of defenders from Palermo/Bari who have been rock solid.

That would be ideal. If Gattuso/Pepe/DiNatale are there then heck, we’re not going anywhere fast.

Also, just to touch again on Cassano, if he calls him up, he will avoid an entire winter of “WE WANT CASSANO” Banter – not to mention if the guy is poor, then he has an excuse NOT to bring him to South Africa.

By jackson | November 6th, 2009 at 3:31 pm

santon in casiraghi squad 4 next 2 qualifiers.

Posted from United States

By jackson | November 6th, 2009 at 3:35 pm

balotelli 2 called by casiraghi 4 next 2 qualifiers.

Posted from United States

By Vivaldi | November 6th, 2009 at 5:20 pm

Italy also needs another midfield creative point, especially when neither Totti, Cassano or Giovinvo is not up front. Pirlo cannot do it all by himself. I would give Montolivo another chance.

By mikederob | November 6th, 2009 at 8:12 pm

i reckon definitely get foggia, pazzini and cazzano in there. i reckon mannini a go too.

Posted from Australia

By Doc Latin | November 6th, 2009 at 8:29 pm

Fiorentina’s fate is far from sealed. They have to tie Lyon minimum.

Italian teams have improved vis-a-vis Liga and EPL but still have much work ahead of them.

Posted from Canada

By bob | November 7th, 2009 at 10:59 am

i think the italian teams are quite underrated

By xyz | November 7th, 2009 at 11:25 am

Reminder for the guys dreaming to see Cassano in Azzurri; Forget about Antonio Cassano. Marcello Lippi won’t call him up. He should do, but he won’t. The fued between Cassano and Lippi is deep so deep and it is personal. Sampdoria President hint was clear that things are very ugly between C & L. After doing some researches of my own it is clear to me that the dispute goes back during and after the calciopoli drama. Cassano himself knows what Lippi’s son has done during that time and he has been advised to shutup his mouth about it for the interest of the game in Italy and for the image of the coach who managed a team to win World Cup 2006. In addition, Lippi is untouchable after his triumph in Germany 2006. That is the truth and the fact.

By matty t | November 7th, 2009 at 4:59 pm

“I would give Montolivo another chance”, ya i agree with vivaldi. fiorentina is doin well right now and montolivo is one of the reasons for that, people r sayin raf palladino is re-emergin and so is montolivo too, both of them have problems with consistency, and if they can continue this good form till may then they should get call ups. i think montolivo should get called up for the friendlies at least

By matty t | November 7th, 2009 at 5:15 pm

camoranesi played a really instrumental role in juve’s game against atlanta provin he still’s got it