Look around Europe’s top leagues right now and you might see what looks like some fascinating title races but none come close to Serie A.
The top four sides in Italy are currently separated by just three points. Leaders Inter sit a point clear of rivals Milan, with reigning champions Napoli in third and Roma in fourth.
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It is the perfect next installment of the recent power share which has seen four different clubs win the Scudetto in the last six seasons. Inter and Napoli have won two apiece with Milan and Juventus – who sit in fifth – winning one each as well.
The glory days of Calcio saw title swap hands regularly
It is also reminiscent of the Calcio glory days, both at its beginning and end. From 1982/83 to 1990/91 – the years in which Serie A began to take over Europe – there was a remarkable seven different champions in nine seasons.
This included Hellas Verona and Sampdoria’s only ever title wins as well as Napoli’s first-ever titles with Diego Maradona and Roma’s second in their history. Of course, the big northern three of Juve, Inter and Milan also got in on the act.
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Fast forward to the end of the 1990s, a decade which Juve and Milan dominated both at home and abroad, and there was another sharing of the spoils with four different winners in consecutive years.
While the two points for a win rule in the 1980s automatically guaranteed tighter title races, the drama at the turn of the century was something to behold as Serie A reached its final peak before the descent into financial and match-fixing scandals.
Turn of the century sees new life brought to the Scudetto race
Juve’s final title in the first act of Marcelo Lippi came in 1997/98 and was followed by another Scudetto success for Milan before the capital clubs took over for the only time in their shared history.
Lazio, who had finished a point behind the Rossoneri in ’99, pipped Juve by the same margin in stunning fashion on the final day after the Old Lady fell to a shock defeat in the rain in Perugia. Sven Goran-Eriksson’s men came third the following year behind Carlo Ancelotti’s Juve and Fabio Capello’s Roma, who won their third and final title to this date by two points.
The near-misses cost Ancelotti his job in Turin but the title did come back to its regular home in 2001/02, a season which has claim to the best final day in Italian history and probably further afar.
Inter under Hector Cuper came to the Stadio Olimpico knowing a win over a fading Lazio side would secure them their first title in 13 years. Anything else would allow either Lippi’s second Juve side or Capello’s men to swoop in.
Inter threw away two leads to lose both the game (4-2) and the title with Ronaldo’s tears on the touchline a sorry end to his injury-riddled four years with the Nerazzurri. Juventus did the job and returned to their perch with just two points between the top three sides.
From here until the 2019/20 season, all but three titles were won by Juve and Inter. Milan picked up two while the 2004/05 season saw no winner after the Calciopoli scandal in which Juve were the central player.
Inter were awarded their 2005/06 title and went on a five-in-a-row run which was broken by Milan’s 2010/11 title win but followed by Juve’s nine on the bounce monopoly of the league.
In that time, there were very few title races of note with Roma (07/08, 09/10, 16/17), Napoli (17/18) and Inter themselves (19/20) the only sides to ever truly challenge the established top dog.
All change in recent years with epic set for this season
It’s all changed since with two of the tightest title races taking place in recent years including last season when Antonio Conte led Napoli past Simone Inzaghi and his former side.
This season might just be the best yet with no clear and obvious best team among the frontrunners. Inter could possibly lay claim to that honour but have a novice coach in Cristian Chivu while Milan and Napoli have perennial winners in Massimiliano Allegri and Conte respectively. Both won titles with Juventus, who aren’t yet out of the running under another champion coach, Luciano Spalletti.
What about Roma? Gian Piero Gasperini worked wonders at Atalanta, winning the Europa League, but has never claimed the Scudetto. Having won it in both of Italy’s most recent title-swapping eras, it could be third time lucky for the Giallorossi.
Whoever wins it will have earned it in the battle of so many big clubs and the tightest of title races in Europe.
