A Milan special after 20 years but no Italian renaissance yet

A Milan special over two legs to decide a Champions League final berth, a first since 2003, was confirmed when Wednesday’s 3-3 draw helped Inter Milan beat Benfica 5-3 on aggregate. “From the beginning, we have said we can win the Champions League. It’s our goal and the target,” said Inter’s Denzel Dumfries. Bring on AC Milan who entered the semi-final on Tuesday after holding runaway Serie A leaders Napoli 1-1 and winning the tie 2-1 on aggregate.

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Between them, Milan and Inter have 10 European titles. But here’s the thing: the last one came in 2010. An Italian team will be in the final in Istanbul on June 10 for the first time since 2017. No Serie A club has made the semi-final of the Champions League since Roma in 2018.

No teams from the same city have played a semi-final since Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in 2017. That adds a special ring to the ‘Derby della Madonnina’ on May 9 and 16. “When we were drawn in a group with Bayern and Barcelona back in August, we were very, very far away,” said Inter manager Simone Inzaghi. Inter are also in the Coppa Italia semi-final.

This is the first time in 17 years that Italy had three teams in the Champions League quarter-finals. Revived by Jose Mourinho, Roma made the round of eight in the Europa League as did Juventus. Lazio are second in Serie A, Maurizio Sarri doing to them what he had to Napoli from 2015-18. Napoli are on course for their first Serie A title in 33 years. Fiorentina have a foot in the semi-final of the UEFA Conference League and adding to the all-around feel-good is the possibility of Juventus being restored 15 points they were docked on charges of accounting malpractice.

Are all these important steps in restoring Italy to its position of eminence? It is too early to say, is the short answer. Because the gap between Italy and the rest, Spain and England in particular, have widened since the Milan giants last played in the penultimate round of the Champions League.

Including this time, 12 teams have made the semi-finals from Italy since the Milan duo met 20 years ago. The corresponding number for La Liga is 27, the most among Europe’s top five. Only thrice, in 2005, 2007 and 2020, were there no teams from Spain in the round of four. In nine seasons between 2003 and now, half of the semi-finalists were from La Liga.

From Premier League, 25 teams have played the semi-finals since 2003. From 2007-09, three of the semi-finalists were from Premier League, a mark only Serie A has equalled in 2003. Eleven times have teams from Bundesliga reach semi-finals and six from Ligue 1.

Inter and Milan could miss out on the Champions League next term. Inter have struggled for goals – , they couldn’t score in three home league defeats – and have one win in their last nine matches. “We know that some points were left on the road in the Italian league, but it’s mostly because of a crazy schedule,” Reuters quoted Inzaghi as telling Inter TV.

That the schedule gets crazy was evident from Pep Guardiola talking about it. “The team is exhausted,” he told BT Sport after Manchester City beat Bayern Munich 4-1 on aggregate to enter the semi-final. “It’s so demanding, so I don’t know how we will arrive because now is a tough moment for the game on Saturday.”

It is why Sarri preferred to focus on Serie A instead of the Conference League. But Italian clubs will have to show strength in depth if they are to match La Liga and Premier League in European competitions. Eleven for the Serie A, 11 for Coppa Italia and 11 for Europe, Sarri said last week when asked for players he would want. Sarri was being his cantankerous self but he did highlight the importance of strength in depth. And there lies a problem.

Inter could lose eight players including Romelu Lukaku and Francesco Acerbi in summer. Milan may not be able to hold on to Rafael Leao and Brahim Diaz. Napoli could have to spend significantly more if they have to tie down the prolific scorer Victor Osimhen (21 goals and four assists in 25 league games), goalie Alex Meret, outfield players Piotr Zielinski, Amir Rrahmani and Hirvong Lozano to long-term deals.

Since 2010, five clubs have won 12 iterations of the Champions League. Sooner rather than later, Manchester City will be the sixth. Italian clubs may or may not have the resources to break into that group but that should not get in the way of celebrating Milanese clubs’ return to club football’s high table, saluting Napoli and wishing Roma and Lazio well.