Roma looked to have made its way back to the top spots in European soccer. The Serie A team is second in the Italian league with just one point behind Juventus. In their last Champions League apperance, Il Capitano Francesco Totti ignited hopes as his goal lead to a draw against Manchester City.
The expectations were so high that the Olimpico Stadium in Rome was sold out for the first time in five years as the team prepared to host German giants Bayern Munich. The game was promoted as the game to watch in this Champions League fixture. Instead of signaling Roma's return, it showcased just how far behind other top leagues the Serie A has fallen.
Pep Guardiola's men humiliated the Italians in a 7-1 victory, outclassing their opponents as they hurried to a 5-0 lead before the 40-minute mark. To be fair, the win may signal more the juggernauts that Bayern are were it not for the general pattern Italian sides have shown in recent years in Europe's greatest competition.
There are only two teams from the Serie A in the group stage, with new-and-improved Napoli being eliminated in the playoffs by Spain's Athletic Bilbao. Roma had done great before this with their aforementioned draw against City and a dominant win against CSKA Moscow. Juventus continue to underwhelm with a win and a loss so far in the competition.
Since Inter Milan won the Champions League with Jose Mourinho five years ago, no Italian team has made it to the semifinals of the competition. In fact, only two teams have made it as far as the quarterfinals. Its time to call it: the Serie A is a second-rate league and the quicker we accept it the quicker we can realize what it means.
The poverty and corruption of the Italian league have hurt the star power of the league. The biggest stars of the Serie a are aging legends Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo. It does not have the name or the money to bring it the top young talent or even aging stars--who may prefer the MLS or the United Arab Emirates.
With proper management, the top teams in the league could still make great runs in the tournament. To do so they will have to play smart as they fail to compete with the cash cows like Bayern Munich or Real Madrid. Until the Serie A realizes it is a proverbial underdog, and starts playing like one, it will continue to fall down the UEFA hierarchy
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