Article 85 — Juventus, Champions of Italy (Again…..)
No surprise here that Juventus are Scudetto champions again. I had called it in my previous post reviewing Inter’s win over Genoa on Saturday. I think most followers of Italian football were just waiting for the inevitable coronation of Juventus as champions of Italy again. It was only a matter of time.
Juventus deserves great credit and all the recognition they can get for creating history as champions of Italy for 9 seasons in a row. It is a remarkable achievement in a league that has traditionally been one of the biggest and most popular leagues in the world. This is the first time anyone from one of Europe’s Big 5 leagues has won their league championship for 9 seasons in a row.
However, winning 9 seasons in a row reflects very poorly on a league that was once the best league in Europe and the home to many legendary players. With all due respect, the Italian Serie A is now reduced to the status of the Scottish Premier League and leagues like that dominated by one team for seasons on end.
While Juventus deserves huge credit for sustaining this pace and hunger to keep winning season after season which is not an easy feat, the rest of Serie A had a very significant role to play in ensuring that they have won for so many seasons on end. After all, it takes two hands to clap.
At their absolute best in the 90s and early 00s, Serie A was in its golden era, the era of the Seven Sisters. Besides the traditional big three, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter, there were Roma, Lazio, Fiorentina and Parma. From 1990–2005, Milan won 6 Scudetti, Juventus won 5 Scudetti and Sampdoria, Roma and Lazio won 1 each. There were also triumphs in the Champions League, UEFA Cup and UEFA Cup Winners Cup by Italian clubs or at least progression to the finals of those competitions. Inter’s era of dominance started after the infamous Calciopoli era from 2006 onwards when they were awarded the Scudetto for 2005–06 after champions, Juventus’ part in Calciopoli. Unfortunately, that is also when Italian football started declining in its reputation and strength.
The decline of Italian football started when clubs like Lazio, Fiorentina and Parma were forced to sell their big players to avoid being declared bankrupt. The stream of top quality players coming into Italian football started to dry up as did the development of Italian players. UEFA’s Financial Fair Play too came into effect from the 2010s and that affected the position and transfer patterns of Inter, AC Milan and Roma.
While all this was going on, Juventus got themselves promoted into Serie A after one season in Serie B. After some less than impressive campaigns back in Serie A, under the new leadership of Chairman Andrea Agnelli, Juventus got back to achieving success on the pitch by becoming the undisputed kings of Italy. Their financial strategy and having a stadium of their own meant that they didn’t face the same issues of the other big Italian clubs that had to desperately balance the books. While the other Italian clubs became selling clubs and the quality of their squads declined, Juventus capitalised and grew in strength with their careful recruitment and they had the financial backing to sign better quality players too.
In 9 seasons, there have been seasons when Juventus have been impeccable and untouchable. They have set the pace from start to the end. There have also been seasons when they have had a shaky start but just when you thought the hunger is gone and Juventus can be caught, they come storming back. This season would probably be one of those seasons when you feel that Juventus could be caught because they were finding it difficult getting in tune with Maurizio Sarri’s philosophy. But yet again, they have emerged champions.
While it is heartening to see Maurizio Sarri win his first-ever league title at the age of 61 to become the oldest-ever coach of a Scudetto-winning team, it would have been sweeter and nicer had he done it as Napoli coach.
The difference between Juventus and their challengers this season and in other seasons is in the mentality and experience. There have been teams that have challenged them and played better football than them but they crumble like a cookie when things start going south and the pressure increases on them when it comes to the business end of the season. Seeing out the business end of the season is Juventus’ speciality. They can win in any way, by playing well or the ugly way. All that matters is getting the three points and seeing out the game. If they do lose, it will not be for more than one game. If there are reports of a bust-up or fall-out in the dressing room, it has no effect on the team in the next match at all. All of this combined is the reason why the score now is Juventus 9 Rest of Serie A 0.
You really got to commend them for that strong winning mentality. That ability to win at all costs. After winning for so many seasons in a row, they have now got the experience too of stalwarts in the team that help them a great deal along the way when the going gets tough. They are the ones that set the standards in the dressing room.
One day I am sure Serie A will see someone else emerge as champions. Nothing lasts forever in life after all. What all of Italian football needs is for that to happen sooner rather than later. There has been some indication that Serie A is growing in strength and getting back to their best but not enough progress has been made on that front yet. Well, not enough significant progress at least. Even for Juventus, they will need stiffer competition for them to be able to do well outside of Italy. In Europe, Italian teams are still a long way from where they were and that is a result of the league not being strong and competitive enough.
