[han2503]

I think we need a fresh start here.

We're back in the CL. There are some glaringly obvious holes that need to be filled in the squad

It's going to be an exciting summer. So what do you guys think should be the first moves to be made by the management?

[han2503]

Han I usually agree with you but this time I must say it seems to me that you are not grasping reality. Reading your post one would conclude that this is a highly planned conspiracy against Serie A. But reality check - we're not in the 90s any more. Serie A lost it's appeal.

With Ronaldo leaving Serie A will fall back even further. The worldwide viewership is falling down rapidly. Even the French league has more viewers. The stadiums are in bad shape or falling apart. Fans and fan groups are problematic. Teams are unattractive, not competitive enough, lack true stars or youth. The results of Italian teams in the last decade are appalling. Zero trophies won, no interest in putting an effort to rebuild or restructure the league,...

No wonder Inter earned less then Sheffield. No, it's not a corporative conspiracy, it's just reality, marketing, economy and planning. Serie A are currently on the bottom, and this is deservedly so.

As you noted I mentioned La Liga as well. Without Real and Barca that league is deader than Serie A.

And I never said that Serie A as a whole does not have self inflicted issues. Most of which stemming from residing in a country where bureaucracy is eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Why are the stadiums falling apart? Because they are owned by the municipality and not the clubs. And clubs that have tried to do something about this are faced with a wall of resistance. The French league is even more on it's knees than Serie A. Aside from the language barrier, Serie A and La Liga are not as marketable as the EPL, that is inherently true. But to see people on Sky Sports (UK) lose their sh!t about the SL when they are a big part of the problem is what p!ssed me off the most about the hole thing. The English clubs backed out quickly because the big backlash was mostly coming from their fans and most of those clubs don't need the money anyway.

Same goes for UEFA really. They act all high and mighty about ruining football, when they have done nothing to control what has been going on for the past 2 decades now. Football was ruined along time ago. FFP helped to make the imbalance even greater. UEFA want to implement something like FFP which basically handicaps struggling clubs which don't have a multi-billion pound domestic deal to fall back on while continuing to empowering the richer clubs. Not to mention the BS with PSG and City. Who have continually bent the rules and never got so much as a slap on the wrist. While we were banned for a season.

Add to that, they have never done anything when it comes to salary caps and pulling the leash on these super agents like Raiola, who have become a huge nuisance. Look at what happened with Donna. Had rules been in place which would not allow agents to get anything above a certain percentage off of any deal. I don't think this would have happened.

I really don't get this part. How is the FA creating such imbalance?

Sky sports not the FA

[Fillipo Simone]

As you noted I mentioned La Liga as well. Without Real and Barca that league is deader than Serie A.

And I never said that Serie A as a whole does not have self inflicted issues. Most of which stemming from residing in a country where bureaucracy is eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Why are the stadiums falling apart? Because they are owned by the municipality and not the clubs. And clubs that have tried to do something about this are faced with a wall of resistance. The French league is even more on it's knees than Serie A. Aside from the language barrier, Serie A and La Liga are not as marketable as the EPL, that is inherently true. But to see people on Sky Sports (UK) lose their sh!t about the SL when they are a big part of the problem is what p!ssed me off the most about the hole thing. The English clubs backed out quickly because the big backlash was mostly coming from their fans and most of those clubs don't need the money anyway.

Same goes for UEFA really. They act all high and mighty about ruining football, when they have done nothing to control what has been going on for the past 2 decades now. Football was ruined along time ago. FFP helped to make the imbalance even greater. UEFA want to implement something like FFP which basically handicaps struggling clubs which don't have a multi-billion pound domestic deal to fall back on while continuing to empowering the richer clubs. Not to mention the BS with PSG and City. Who have continually bent the rules and never got so much as a slap on the wrist. While we were banned for a season.

Add to that, they have never done anything when it comes to salary caps and pulling the leash on these super agents like Raiola, who have become a huge nuisance. Look at what happened with Donna. Had rules been in place which would not allow agents to get anything above a certain percentage off of any deal. I don't think this would have happened.


Sky sports not the FA

I still think it's a much larger issue then just bureaucracy and municipalities. The league as a whole lost quality and reputation immensely. Your comparison with La Liga is completely off man. Firstly, Barcelona and Real are there, so there's no need to say "without them". Then there are concrete results: Sevilla won 3 EL, Villarreal won it this year, Atletico made 2 CL finals. Not to mention Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Good God, even Granada made it to the quarter finals. What are the Italian results meanwhile? Nonexistent. Two lost finals by Juventus and one by Inter in 10 years or more.