No nation is currently as successful in the European Cup as Italy: five representatives of the often reviled Serie A have made it into the semi-finals of the three European Cup competitions.
There isn’t much time left, then Bayer Leverkusen will have to organize the next European Cup tour straight away. But the responsible department is happy to do that, where otherwise all these years in the spring was usually the last stop. After the European capital of Brussels, the factory club is now headed straight for the next metropolis: for tourist reasons, Rome is one of the best things that can happen to a participant in the European Cup.
In this respect, the Europa League semi-final against AS Roma (May 11 and 18) is a stroke of luck for the 1988 UEFA Cup winner. If Rudi Völler were still in office and dignified under the Bayer Cross, Leverkusen would have too nor the best top representative in the portfolio. Völler was active for AS Roma from 1987 to 1992 – and was definitely one of Germany’s best ambassadors in Serie A.
Rudi Völler travels to Rome with Leverkusen
But even as sports director for national teams, the storming legend will not miss this trip. The 63-year-old is part of the Leverkusen travel group for the away game on May 11, the club confirmed on Friday. “The inevitable has happened”said Voller: “It’s going to be two wonderful games for sure.” Although he masquerades as “half Roman” designated, his sympathies will be clearly divided. “With all my proximity to Rome, it’s clear that my heart beats for Bayer Leverkusen.” But star coach José Mourinho did at Roma “ignited great euphoria”.
If the Werkself clear this hurdle, there could be another showdown with a renowned Italian club in the final in Budapest on May 31 if Juventus beat Sevilla. The Italy expert and lover Völler is probably also amazed at what happened in the most recent knockout duels of the European Cup quarter-finals: Five teams from a league that is often spurned are in the semi-finals of the three competitions.
For the first time since 2017, an Italian club in the Champions League final
Inter Milan and AC Milan are dueling in the Champions League in the Lombard derby and are sending a team from Italy to the final on June 10 in Istanbul for the first time since 2017. It is AS Roma and Juventus Turin that represent Serie A in the Europa League, where no Italian club has won since the premiere in 2010. And in the Europa Conference League, AC Florence has also fought its way into the semi-finals: the opponent is FC Basel. There are said to be Florentina fans who are already booking flights and accommodation for the final on June 7th in Prague. Incidentally, AS Roma triumphed in the premiere of this format last year.
The Italian exhilaration is palpable. “Forza, folks, Europe is waiting for us. Let’s conquer it”headlined the Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of the quarter-finals and cheered: “We’re even better than the English. Raise your hand if that’s what you imagined at the beginning of the season.” Italy was absent from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Mocked by the football world because the European champions celebrated the year before failed to defeat North Macedonia. But now the tactical sophistication, the technical quality of the club teams is undeniable.
Better as a collective than some English clubs
Most teams function as a collective, better than many a frantically bought luxury squad from England, where Chelsea offered a particularly chilling example of where too much money on the transfer market can also lead. Nobody can deny the renaissance of calcio. When the up-and-coming champions SSC Napoli missed a lesson in the round of 16 against the Europa League winner Eintracht Frankfurt (2-0, 3-0), coach Luciano Spalletti said: “It’s time we broke the stereotype of bad Italian football.”
Ironically, national coach Roberto Mancini poured water into the wine when he commented on the alleged rebirth of Italian football: “If Milan, Napoli and Inter played with 33 Italians, you could say that. But it’s not even half.” Other countries are not as critical of their club teams when there are only two or three homegrown players in the starting XI.
Praise from the highest UEFA authority
In his recent speech at the UEFA Congress, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin asked: “Which league has the most representatives in the Champions League quarter-finals? Italy! Which league has the most representatives in the Europa League quarter-finals? Italy!” Especially the Milan clubs with their great appeal have reinvented themselves. The Po level was out for a long time when it came to setting new trends in football. Milan, seven-time winner of the Henkelpott (last in 2007), played for the first time in eleven; Inter, three-time Champions League winner (last 2010), even for twelve years in the top eight in the premier class.
The appendix endured the abstinence with a mixture of dismay and indifference. After all, Milan comforted their followers with the championship last year, Inter made their community happy with the Scudetto the year before. Both clubs are good examples of what is being done right. After many trials and tribulations in the post-Berlusconi era, legend Paolo Maldini did a great job as Milan’s sporting director, forming a young, powerful squad in which Sandro Tonali stands out from the center of midfield – the 22-year-old is now also in the center Squadra Azzurra set. Otherwise, this team likes to define themselves by working off the ball.
Just as it is not forbidden at all to revive the catenaccio from old times. But as a stylistic device alone, defending would of course not be enough. Inter plays the slightly more exciting football of the two city rivals, with ex-Bundesliga top scorer Edin Dzeko, Argentinian world champion Lautaro Martinez and Belgian world-class striker Romelu Lukaku also having three top attackers under contract who can always make the difference. However, fifth place in the league is causing the first unrest around coach Simone Inzaghi. The current place in the table would be well explained with the general strengthening of Serie A.