It may seem unimaginable to fans of a certain vintage, but there was a time in the recent past when Italy’s Serie A was undoubtedly the best league in world football.
Is Italian football on the brink of a renaissance? Eighteen-time domestic champions AC Milan seem hell-bent on a revival, going on an incredible summer spending spree in a bid to end Juventus’ six-year stranglehold over Serie A.
The signings of Portuguese starlet Andre Silva, Turkish schemer Hakan Calhanoglu, Swiss dead ball specialist Ricardo Rodriguez and defensive reinforcements Andrea Conti and Mateo Musacchio – not to mention the arrival of highly-rated loanee Franck Kessie – would have been enough to suggest the Milanese giants mean business.
But it’s the stunning swoop for long-time Juventus stalwart Leonardo Bonucci that has Italy abuzz, with the defender capped 70 times by his country making the switch to San Siro in an audacious €42 million move.
It’s got fans of the Rossoneri dreaming of a return to their halcyon days and a first Scudetto since their most recent title win in 2010-11.
It didn’t used to be this way. There was a time in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Milan was the biggest club on the planet under the flamboyant ownership of media mogul Silvio Berlusconi.
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Fuelled by Berlusconi’s vast wealth and guided by the tactical nous of first Arrigo Sacchi and then Fabio Capello, Milan swept all before them en route to winning four of the five Scudetti on offer in the early 90s.
And they did it playing some of the most thrilling football on the continent, with a squad in which Dutch stars Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard were eventually supplemented by the likes of Jean-Pierre Papin, Marcel Desailly and the outrageously gifted Dejan Savicevic.
There’s a reason so many Australians my age look back fondly on that legendary Milan side – because we watched a lot of their football, albeit in the form of highlights, on SBS.
I was barely a teen when Capello’s three-time title-winning Milan side went 58 games unbeaten and I remember reading about their exploits – often weeks after the fact – in airfreighted copies of World Soccer magazine.
And one of the most enjoyable programs on Australian TV was the hour-long Italian football highlights show broadcast on SBS every Sunday morning.
I watched that show religiously and became so obsessed with Lazio striker Giuseppe Signori that when USA ’94 rolled around, I asked my parents for an Italy jersey with ’11 Signori’ on the back – despite the fact I was neither Italian, nor a striker… and Signori’s squad number was actually 20!
I still follow Lazio to this day, and for those who prefer to remember Signori for his goal-scoring feats rather than the match-fixing scandal that resulted in him recently serving a five-year ban from football, some legend has uploaded his show-ending tribute from Les Murray’s old World Soccer program to YouTube. (And yes, I know I’ve shared this video before).
Lazio look set to sell skipper Lucas Biglia to Milan this week, and should the Rossoneri also nab the prolific Andrea Belotti from Torino, they’ll provide the fiercest challenge yet to Juventus’ recent dominance.
Speaking of Juventus, there’s a fabulous new movie called Black And White Stripes: The Juventus Story showing in cinemas across Australia on July 19, 22 and 23.
I’ll be watching on opening night with my football-mad friend Joe Curtis, and I urge every fan with even a passing interest in Italian football to get along and discover what makes Juventus one of the most successful clubs in the world today.
They’ll have their work cut out for them fending off the challenge of Milan this season, but anything that improves the competitiveness of Italian football is a good thing.
And in the meantime, we can reminisce about a time when the eyes of the world were on Serie A – perhaps the first globally-recognised mega league of the modern era.
Sydneysider
Guest
They were great times. That Milan side of the late 80's and early 90's was one of the greatest football teams of all time. Names like Gullit, Van Basten, Rijkaard, Barsei, Maldini, Costacurta, Tassotti, Evani, Albertini, Eranio, Marco Simone.... just the best squad of players ever assembled by an Italian club. Then we had the likes of Roberto Baggio, Zola, Del Piero, Signori..... Italy had an amazing squad of players to choose from. Plenty of no.10's (trequartista) to choose from..... now they have literally none. It's sad what's happened to Italian football but they have only themselves to blame, although some of the clubs are starting to change that with investment from Asia and most importantly building new stadiums. Hopefully it's not only Juventus that will be challenging in Europe in the future. Would be great to see AC Milan back up there.
Evan Askew
Guest
Norman was at Barcelona.
pauli
Guest
What?
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
If your boots are quality, supple leather, it definitely works (IMHO), the closer the fit to your skin, the better and more natural it feels.
pacman
Guest
So, tell us lachlan, don't be modest, how many goals did you score? And, were there any adverse effects from wearing boots a whole size too small?
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
Heh yes, I remember reading that too! What a singular talent.
pacman
Guest
No Andrew, you are not. As a former coach of regional underdog teams, I automatically gravitate to barracking for the underdog. Absolutely loved Leicester City winning the EPL with, of all people, an Italian manager at the helm.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Yep. Thanks for that hit of nostalgia, Locomotiv.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Tyler was the voice of football for me, and probably still resonates as the baseline when listening to commentary. The YouTube clip from Locomotiv below just pure nostalgia. Favourite line from Les Murray from that time: "It's gone in!" Just pure understatement...and worth a quote every time someone scored a goal on the pitch.
lachlan
Guest
I remember reading that signiori accredited his goals to wearing his addidas mondial boots a 1/2 size too small. So i went out and bought my boots a whole size too small and ran them in before pre season in 91 at waverley city. HaHa! great fun. Thanks for the smiles sir.
Andrew Macdougall
Roar Pro
I am probably the only Chievo supporter in Australia. Have always loved watching Italian football, from Serie A through to C. I used to subscribe to the RAI Channel through Foxtel, didn't understand Italian but enjoyed watching matches anyway. And that continues today, with the help of BeIn Sports we don't have to try and find dodgy online streams.
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
I'm just saying that he started his career back in the 90s. He'll be 38 when the A-League season starts. No denying he played Serie A last year, although....
Locomotiv
Guest
Thanks for memory lane Mike. It was the year i worked out how to use the time recorder on the VHS. It still gives me goose bumps even today watching those last 10 minute highlights at the end of "the world game" on Sunday mornings in the 90s. Nothing compares with Martin Tylers voice when it comes to Football, and the symphony to the Seria A package simply incredible. Nothing will ever compare to the Seria A of the early 90s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLdNhVt0MB4 double overhead at 6.01
Evan Askew
Guest
Cerezo and Mickailichenko.
MarkfromCroydon
Guest
Thanks for the great memories Mike. I used to love watching the highlights show and dream of going to watch a live match at the San Siro, between Milan and Inter with the Dutch and German contingents. The format of the program was terrific and I'd love to see a fta A league equivalent on a Monday night.
forza milan
Guest
There will never be another Serie A like the late 80's and early 90s due to the bosman ruling. The three foreign rule certainly equalised the competition, with the rich clubs unable to monopolise all the good players and as mentioned everyone wanted to play in Italy. Was also a golden period for Italian players as well, with zola, baggio, del piero, vial, mancini etc.
Bfc
Guest
Jeez that AC Milan side funded by Berlusconi was seriously good...just the Dutch contingent alone made them worth watching. Gullit, van Basten, Rijkaard (wasn't Koeman also in the side..?), and throw in the cream of Italian football like Baresi and the result was the best team of that period.
fifo
Guest
There is no lack of quality in the Serie A, only the fans are lacking. The reason for that is the poor economy. Most men today are poorer than they were 20 years ago. The economy is poor all over the world but the difference with Italian men is that they first spend their money to satisfy their sexual needs before they spend it on Football. English and German fans are different. Even dead set poor and without a sex life, the English and Germans still spend money on Football
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
He played 28 games in Serie A last year.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
That Milan tour in '93 contained the infamous 35-minute second half in Melbourne!