The country that currently holds the World Cup, Italy, also has one of the most outstanding soccer leagues in Europe. Although often overshadowed by the English Premier League and the Spanish Primera, the Italian Serie A is a close third for the most popular domestic soccer competition on the globe. Despite the recent controversy surrounding the match-fixing scandal that led to serious repercussions for AC Milan and Juventus, Serie A has bounced back and seen some outstanding clashes this season among four notable clubs: AC Milan, Juventus, Roma and Inter Milan.
AC Milan has had disappointing results so far this season. After winning the UAEFA Champions League Cup and finishing fourth in Serie A last year, AC Milan was expected to finish at least in the top three this year. At this point, however, the team is in fifth place, three points behind Fiorentina and 21 points behind their bitter rival, Inter Milan.
Much of AC Milan's focus this year is on competition outside the Italian League, which could explain why the team hasn't met its domestic expectations. On March 4, the team is set to play Arsenal in the first knockout round of the Champions League tournament, and as the league's defending champion, Milan faces pressure to defend its title.
Juventus, meanwhile, has been very successful in its first season back in the Serie A. As the team in the center of the "Calciopoli scandal," an alleged series of match-fixings by team officials and referees in 2006, Juventus suffered harsh setbacks that included relegation to Italy's Serie B, a nine point deduction, and the removal of its 2005 and 2006 Serie A titles.
Moreover, Juventus lost many of its stars to other clubs that still offered the highest level of competition, including Patrick Vierra, Gianluca Zambrotta, Lilian Thuram and the Italian national team captain, Fabio Cannavaro.
Nevertheless, one of their biggest stars stayed behind. Gianluigi Buffon, arguably the best goalie in the world, remained with Juventus and contributed to the club's success in the Serie B. Now, Juventus is in third place, closely trailing Roma. And unlike its rival, AC Milan, Juventus does not have the privilege of focusing on another tournament. Since it was promoted from Serie B this year, Juventus will face another year absent from the Champions League. Yet the team remains determined to qualify next year.
Roma is currently ahead of both Juventus and AC Milan. Although it often plays in the shadow of the other three Italian giants, Roma performs consistently well. In the past seven years, Roma has finished in second place four times and won the Serie A in 2001. More recently, Roma won the Coppa Italia last year, a tournament similar to the British FA Cup but not quite as popular as the Serie A Championship.
Furthermore, Roma is seeking to improve their performance in the Champions League after their devastating 7-1 loss to Manchester United last year.
Eclipsing all the others, Inter Milan is, at least on paper, the most successful current Italian club. Inter was awarded Juventus' titles and was able to enjoy a full season without Juventus or Fiorentina, as well as an eight-point headstart above AC Milan. Inter has also been in the Italian Serie A ever since its inception in 1909, and since Juventus' Calciopoli mistake, it is the only team to never have been sent down to Serie B.
This year, Inter's rivals are back, but they have not stopped the top Italian team from winning. Currently, they lead the Italian Serie A and are 11 points ahead of second-place Roma.
The Italian Serie A is the context for intense rivalry and passionate soccer. Italian soccer fans who can boast about four World Cups for their country are certainly expecting an exciting season. Although the numbers indicate that Inter will likely be crowned the champion, no result can be certain, something Inter realized this weekend after a 1-1 tie against the lesser known Sampdoria.
Moreover, Roma's victory over Fiorentina shows that good results from important fixtures can close the gap to first place or at least guarantee another honorable second-place finish.
