Ask the average football fan what the best league in world football today is and chances are he'll respond with one of two answers: the English Premier League or Spain's La Liga. A generalisation? Perhaps, but it's a decent bet. Sure, some people may hedge their bets and go with the Bundesliga in Germany, maybe because of the odd game they've caught on ESPN, or France's Ligue 1, because it's home to some of Europe's fastest rising stars, but it's a rare occurrence.
But what about Serie A? What about waking up early to watch James Richardson do a fantastic impression of the world's coolest man on Football Italia on Channel 4? Catching the afternoon game on the same station, probably in a Sunday roast-induced stupor? What about Ronaldo dominating at Inter? Edgar Davids? Flares? Gianluca Vialli's overhead kicks?!
Remember me?
It's likely Italian football has disappeared off the radar of most English football fans, at least, in recent memory, because of its' unavailability on terrestrial television. Channel 4, as mentioned, used to be the place to go for your fix of Baggio and co., for nearly 10 years from the 1992-93 season until 2001-02, at the end of which campaign the channel decided not to renew their deal.
Though it was picked up by Five for the 2007-08 season, Mark Chapman and Laura Esposto did little to stir the interest that the likes of Richardson and Peter Brackley had done years earlier. Football Italia was part of the holy trinity of Saturday morning TV for many, as cornflakes and tea went hand in hand with Trans World Sport, The Morning Line and James Richardson himself perusing the Italian sports papers with an air of sheer nonchalance.
Sure, Joe Bloggs sat at home may have never left Norwich, let alone sampled Naples, but Richardson made sure the comings and goings of Serie A were simple to understand and easy to get lost in. And Peter Brackley, who would find some semblance of fame as the commentary voice of Pro Evolution Soccer, was more than tolerable calling the action from the live Sunday afternoon offering.
Stereo-tip-ical
What a shame, then, that nowadays, Serie A conjures up, at best, the image of a hopeful addition to that Sunday morning accumulator, and at worst, the image of boring defensive play intertwined with corruption and the heavy whiff of Sky One's at times excruciating Football's Next Star series.
Yes, Italy were woeful at the 2010 World Cup, but four years earlier they won the same competition. Football's Next Star wasn't that bad because Marco Monti was always entertaining and Jamie Redknapp scrubbed up well. And Ravenna might, one day, win at 5-1. Maybe. It might not be as accessible these days - ESPN have the rights as part of their subscription package, but do show 80 games a season - but it's still a fantastic league to watch.
Why, I hear you ask? For a variety of reasons, which we'll take a look at. For the same reasons millions of people watch the Premier League every week. Entertainment isn't at a premium anymore.
Competition
One of the main reasons people love to watch Serie A is because it's somewhat unpredictable. Sure, this isn't to say the the Premier League is a foregone conclusion from the opening day, or La Liga is a top two cakewalk...well, actually forget about La Liga for now. But in Italy, you're guaranteed new pretenders to the title chasing throne every season. Inter, AC Milan and Juventus are big names, but Napoli, Sampdoria, Genoa, Palermo, Sampdoria and Fiorentina aren't without their charms.
Napoli, perhaps most famous for being a former club of one Diego Armando Maradona, have qualified for the Champions League knockout phase in a group that included Bayern Munich and Manchester City, as a continuing result of their impressive 3rd place finish in last season's Serie A campaign, in which Juventus actually finished down in 7th. And don't forget Udinese, who finished 4th. Alexis Sanchez or not, the likes of Isla, Di Natale and Torje mean that one of Europe's former greats are back on the domestic charge.
Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the spectrum, away from championship glories and column inches, you won't be seeing anyone cut adrift before Christmas(are you listening, Bolton?). Though the newly promoted Atalanta, Siena and Novara aren't quite setting the world alight, with all three currently sitting in the bottom 7 of Serie A, just 10 points separate the bottom half of the division.
And as for the myth that Italian football is too defensive - you were guaranteed 2.5 goals a game last season in Serie A. 108 goals less than the Premier League is a small price to pay when you have as much competition throughout the division.
I'm the boss
Those in the dugout are also a point of interest for Italian football. Forget Fergie buddying up to the BBC, or Guardiola's sharp suits. Roma's manager is the former Barcelona great Luis Enrique, who took over from the original tinkerman, former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri. And with the likes of Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi to contend with, fireworks are never far away from the Stadio Olimpico.
Ranieri now sits in the dugout at the San Siro, managing Inter Milan, after he took over from another former Premier League boss that used to call Serie A home, Rafa Benitez. Though he enjoyed success at Liverpool, the tail end of his time at Anfield was tarnished with bizarre press conferences and fat Spanish waiter jibes. The jibes remained, and Benitez was a certifiable disaster in Italy.
And though he may not pick the team, one cannot forget the dealings of Silvio Berlusconi in Serie A. The colourful former Italian Prime Minister now has more time to focus on his love of the other team in Milan - AC. With politics now longer not Berlusconi's game, the waspish womaniser could make Massimiliano Allegri's time in the dugout a lot more interesting.
And who doesn't want to see that?
Playing the field
But no-one buys a ticket to a football game to see the man in the dirty tracksuit, or ill fitting Primark suit, call the shots. No, you pay your money to see the 22 men on the pitch do their thing, and Serie A has an abundance of quality on the pitch. There's a long list of great players that have plied their trade in Italy's top division, from Maradona to Gazza, Del Piero to Rush.
Players from countries all around the world help make the action on the pitch in Serie A some of the most exciting in Europe. Here's just a few examples:
Gianluigi Buffon - One of Serie A's longest serving custodians and a former World Goalkeeper of the Year, Buffon used to be the first name on most Team of the Tournament lists. Still the most goalkeeper in the world, Juventus' number 1 may be coming to the end of his career but he's still as agile as ever and breathtaking to watch between the sticks.
Maicon - Though the English media will probably never let you forget it, ignore the fact that Gareth Bale had one decent game against him. The fact is that Maicon is one of the most consistent full backs in world football.
Brazillian by nationality, Brazilian by performance, Maicon loves to maraud up and down the right side of Inter Milan's midfield, despite his right back position. Though he may have his route to further national appearances blocked by Dani Alves, Maicon is one of the first names on the Inter team-sheet, and rightfully so.
Wesley Sneijder - Derided by some for his diving, there's no denying that the Dutchman is one of the most exciting midfielders in the game. Repeatedly, and reportedly, courted by Manchester United, the Inter Milan star will probably be best remembered by most for his cracking volley that knocked United out of the Champions League a few years back.
Inter went on to win the tournament under Jose Mourinho, thanks to some dubious tactics in the semi-final against Barcelona, but Sneijder was key to Internazionale's success then and will continue to be so as Ranieri looks to fend off moves for his key man.
Edinson Cavani - Napoli striker that shot to fame in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa playing alongside Diego Forlan for Uruguay, Cavani is a rising star that a lot of Europe's big boys have their eyes on. Fast, powerful and possessing a poacher's instinct, the former Palermo man has scored 33 goals in 46 appearances for his club.
Not bad for a 24 year old? A move to Chelsea has been mooted by some, but Andre Villas Boas will have to part with Torres-levels of cash to bring Cavani to England.
Boot camp
So when you push aside the stereotypes of Italian football, there's more to Serie A than meets the eye. Yes, it's not as widely distributed a division with regards to television coverage as La Liga or the Premier League, but that doesn't mean the entertainment and excitement aren't there.
Is a co-incidence that Italy resembles a boot in shape? Absolutely. The country has been around for millions more years than the game of football that we all know and love. But Italians love their beautiful game. And so should we.
