Sadly, the glory days of Serie A clubs dominating European football are a distant memory.
Inter were the last Italian team to win the Champions League in 2009/10 and that miserable streak is unlikely to end this season.
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While Inter are priced at 28/1 on the new betting site to lift the trophy in May, it’s hard to believe they will get the job done.
Inter Milan are expected to reach the last 16, where they could join Atalanta, Juventus and Napoli. Serie A teams are also vying to qualify for UEFA’s second and third tiers of competition.
Roma and Bologna are fighting for promotion in the Europa League, while Fiorentina have reached the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Atalanta are in the Europa League in 2023/24, while Roma won the inaugural Europa League two years ago.
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However, for a country rated as one of the world’s football powers, success in these competitions does not justify its lofty status.
With that in mind, read on as we assess why the Serie A side are lagging behind their European rivals and how they can turn things around.
Debunking the “Wealth” Theory
MUNICH, GERMANY – MAY 31: Paris Saint-Germain’s Marquinhos lifts the UEFA Champions League trophy after his team’s victory following the 2025 UEFA Champions League final match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan in Munich, securing Paris Saint-Germain’s first UEFA Champions League title in the club’s history and a record UEFA Champions League final winning score of 5-0 May 31, 2025 Football stadium in Munich, Germany, Japan. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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Many people believe that financial conditions are one of the reasons for the failure of European Serie A teams, but this statement is flawed.
When it comes to assessing the market value of players from each of Europe’s top five leagues, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich top the list in terms of trophies.
However, anyone who thinks richer clubs win more trophies in Europe is wrong as they have only won the Champions League once in the past decade.
This is further reflected in the Premier League, where 20 teams have assembled a total lineup worth 12.57 billion euros.
It hasn’t been a case of European dominance, with England winning just eight of 24 trophies in the three competitions over the past 10 seasons.
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The market valuation of Serie A clubs ranks third among the “Big Five” leagues, and is no different from La Liga clubs.
However, while Spanish sides have won ten European trophies during this period, Atalanta and Roma are the only Italian clubs to have won continental trophies during the same period.
Serie A has fallen behind in terms of tactics
MILAN, ITALY – AUGUST 29: Inter Milan head coach Jose Mourinho and Wesley Sneijder during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Inter Milan at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on August 29, 2009 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
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Milan’s 4-0 victory over Barcelona in the 1993/94 UEFA Champions League final led to the belief that the Serie A club was tactically far ahead of its opponents.
Tactics once again played a key role in Inter’s 2-0 win over Bayern Munich in 2009/10, with manager Jose Mourinho delivering one of his famous defensive masterclasses.
However, the former Chelsea boss realized the tactical landscape was changing and left Italian football to join Real Madrid.
Serie A subsequently fell behind other top European leagues in terms of tactics, commitment, initiative and athleticism. The latter element is particularly relevant.
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Statistics from a few seasons ago showed that the worst teams in the Bundesliga made more runs and played at a much slower pace than the top teams in Serie A.
This lack of energy persists, as evidenced by the success of players from other leagues performing well in Serie A.
Romelu Lukaku, for example, failed miserably at Manchester United but swept everything before him in Serie A. There are many similar examples in the league.
Italy must step up their intensity
Given the passionate nature of the Italians, it seems unthinkable that a lack of intensity would become commonplace in Serie A.
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This has had a knock-on effect on the national team, who have failed to qualify for the past two World Cups and are in danger of missing out on the 2026 World Cup.
Fixing this problem requires going back to a time when Italian teams were not only technically proficient but also defensively fierce.
La Liga giants Atletico Madrid have given Serie A clubs a template they can implement that will increase their chances of competing in European competitions again.
Head coach Diego Simeone continues to build a team that is greater than the sum of its parts. They gave absolutely nothing away for free.
Serie A clubs have somehow lost this mentality, apart from occasionally reappearing and then disappearing without a trace again.
Italian football needs to get rid of its tendency to play at a slower pace by introducing more intensity and pace. The rest of Europe has moved on, and Serie A teams must take action or the gap will widen further.
