Serie A has long been mocked, particularly here in England, for producing, boring sub-standard football.
To a generation of football fans not fortunate enough to remember the glory days of the late 80s and early 90s, Serie A is known for producing one or two great teams, but on the whole still being a tough watch.
Yet to fans of Italian football there is so much more to Italian football than that. The culture, politics and fanaticism of Italian football make it gripping and more recently they have been bucking the trend for exciting football.
Last season Shay Given sat on Goals on Sunday couch and on reviewing another seven-goal thriller from the Premier League uttered the immortal line: “This is why it’s the best league in the world. Nobody likes a 1-0 in Italy.”
I have news for Shay – Serie A had more goals than any of the top leagues in Europe last season.
But it is another area that fans in England should sit up and take note of.
Mo Sallah has taken the league by storm this year. Yet what has changed so dramatically from when he was deemed a failure earlier in his career with Chelsea.
Perhaps Patrice Evra can shed some light on it. Speaking after his move to Juventus from Manchester United, the Frenchman said:
‘This is different by comparison to England, where it's a show in which the first team to get exhausted falls, like a boxer. In Serie A, you win with your head.
‘I'm learning so much here. I must thank Italy, a country that taught me so much from early on in my career.’
And it is perhaps for that reason that players who struggled in England are now thriving in Italy’s top flight. Here are just a few names who are lauded in Serie A, but were mocked in England:
Andreas Cornelius
The giant Dane was Cardiff City’s record signing when he made the move from his homeland with FC Copenhagen to the Welsh capital.
The hopes of Premier League survival were pinned on Cornelius but it did not work out as planned.
Injuries curtailed his Cardiff career to just eight appearance’s as the bluebirds were relegated, but despite that, the feeling was that Cornelius just wasn’t good enough for the top flight.
He was allowed to return to FC Copenhagen for a fraction of the fee Cardiff paid for him and after three seasons got his chance in the big time again with a move to Atalanta.
There, Cornelius has been a key part of Serie A’s surprise package of the last few seasons, playing almost every game for the Nerazurri who sit eighth in the table.
Federico Fazio
The Argentine centre back made his name during seven years in Spain with Sevilla, where he twice won the Europa League.
He became one of Maurico Pochettino’s first signings when he took over at Spurs in 2014, but after a disastrous debut, his cards were marked.
He was sent off for a foul on Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero in a 4-1 defeat at The Etihad and again in the Europa League away at Asteras Tripoli.
He turned out 20 times for Spurs but fans and pundits never took to him and after a brief loan spell back with Sevilla he moved to Roma (first on loan).
In the Italian capital, Fazio has rebuilt his reputation with the Giallorossi, proving a snip at just €3.2m.
Juan Cuadrado
The Colombian winger was a sensation in Italy with Fiorentina before a big money move to Chelsea in 2015 with Jose Mourinho. But just like Mo Salah before him it didn’t work out in the capital (perhaps due to the manager, who would be sacked the next season) and within a year he was back in Italy, on loan at Juventus.
Back in Serie A, Cuadrado once again underlined his class winning two league titles, two Coppa Italia’s and reaching the Champions League final.
If were to move back to England again it would be no surprise to see him emulate what Sallah is doing this year with Liverpool.
Nikola Kalinić
Perhaps the most surprising name on the list, Blackburn Rovers fans will remember (none to fondly) the beanpole Croatian, who only managed seven goals in 44 appearances as the once Premier League champions tumbled down the divisions.
Kalinić rebuilt his career in the Ukraine with Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk before Fiorentina took a gamble and signed him in 2015 for just €5m.
It would prove to be a shrewd move as Kalinić became the focal point of the Viola’s attack scoring 33 times in just over 80 games before a dream move to AC Milan last summer for a few believed to be around €25m. How Blackburn could have done with that sell-on clause now.
Suso
A product of the Liverpool academy, Jesús Joaquín Fernández Sáenz de la Torre – or Suso – was long hailed as the next big wonder kid on the European football scene.
Snapped up by the reds from Cadiz in Spain when he was still a teenager he went on to make only 14 appearances in three seasons with Liverpool before being sent back to Spain with Almeria.
Clearly the powers that be on Merseyside did not see sufficient improvement and he was allowed to join Milan on a free transfer that summer.
Since then he has gone on to become a key player with the Rossoneri and following a spell on loan in Serie A with Genoa has become a regular fixture on the flanks as Milan look to rebuild their team. He recently signed a new deal to stay at the San Siro until 2022.
