In recent years, Italian football clubs have been a prominent force in European competitions. Inter Milan has reached two Champions League finals in three seasons, Fiorentina has appeared in two Conference League finals, and Roma has also made it to two European finals. However, this current season, it appears that no Italian team will be advancing to a final.
All four of Italy’s Champions League representatives were eliminated in the Round of 16. Reigning champions Napoli exited after the initial group stage, and last season’s beaten finalists, Inter, were surprisingly defeated by Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt in the knockout phase playoffs.
A similar situation is unfolding in both the Europa League and the Conference League. Only Bologna remains in the Europa League and Fiorentina in the Conference League. Both clubs face significant challenges to reach the semifinals of their respective competitions.
Bologna and Fiorentina Face Uphill Battles
Bologna was drawn against tournament favorites Aston Villa in the Europa League, and the English club secured a convincing 3-1 victory in the first leg. Fiorentina, a two-time finalist in the Conference League, finds itself in an even more precarious position after a 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Online betting platforms now heavily favor both English teams not only to advance but also to win their respective continental trophies. Aston Villa is considered the favorite to win the Europa League, while Crystal Palace holds the same status in the Conference League. For Bologna and Fiorentina, an exit in the quarterfinals seems likely. Should this happen, it would mark the first time in seven years that Italy has not had a semifinalist in any European competition. Let’s examine the previous instances when this occurred.
2018/19: Cristiano Ronaldo’s Arrival Fails to Secure European Glory for Turin
The major event of the summer of 2018 was Cristiano Ronaldo’s high-profile transfer to Juventus, with the club investing €112 million to sign the Portuguese superstar from Real Madrid. Ronaldo was expected to finally lead the Bianconeri to Champions League success. Given his past three consecutive Champions League titles with Real Madrid, this seemed a real possibility. However, surprisingly, Juventus did not even reach the semifinals.
Max Allegri’s team achieved a remarkable comeback against Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16, overturning a two-goal deficit from the first leg with a stunning second-leg hat-trick from Ronaldo. Nevertheless, in the quarterfinals, an emerging Ajax team continued their impressive run. The Amsterdam club had already eliminated the reigning champions, Real Madrid, in the previous round, marking Real Madrid’s first European exit before the semifinals since 2015. Ajax then went on to defeat Juventus, winning 2-1 at the Allianz Stadium despite Ronaldo’s early goal.
Juventus was not the only Italian club to face disappointment that season. Both Inter Milan and Napoli dropped into the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League groups. They were subsequently eliminated by Eintracht Frankfurt and Arsenal, respectively. Roma reached the Champions League knockout stage but was immediately knocked out in the Round of 16 by FC Porto. AC Milan exited Europe’s secondary competition at the group stage, while Lazio was convincingly beaten by Sevilla in the Round of 32.
2015/16: Juventus Cannot Replicate Previous Season’s Success
Three years before Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival, in 2015, Juventus reached the Champions League final, becoming the first Italian club to do so in five years. Although they were ultimately defeated in the Berlin final by a formidable Barcelona side featuring Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar, hopes remained high that Juventus could build on their surprising run to the final. Unfortunately, this was not to be the case.
Juventus exited the 2015/16 Champions League in the Round of 16, losing a thrilling two-legged tie to Bayern Munich. After a 2-2 draw in Turin, it appeared the Italian giants would hold their own in the second leg in Bavaria, leading by two goals with less than 20 minutes remaining. However, goals from Robert Lewandowski and a last-gasp header from Thomas Müller forced extra time, where the German side completed their comeback with a 4-2 victory.
Roma was also eliminated at the same stage, suffering a 2-0 defeat both home and away against eventual champions Real Madrid. Roma’s rivals, Lazio, did not even qualify for the group stage, having lost to Bayer Leverkusen in the playoffs.
Lazio then entered the Europa League. While they performed somewhat better in the continent’s secondary tournament, they were ultimately defeated by Slavia Prague in the Round of 16 following a surprising 3-0 home loss at the Stadio Olimpico. Fiorentina also advanced to the knockout round of that season’s Europa League but their campaign was short-lived, losing to Tottenham Hotspur in the Round of 32.
English Translation:
Italian teams have shone in European competition in recent years. Current Serie A league leaders Inter have reached two Champions League finals in three seasons, while Fiorentina have two Conference League finals under their belt, and Roma have reached two European finals as well. However, it looks as though no Italian outfit will be reaching a final this term.
All four of the country’s Champions League participants were dumped out by the Round of 16, with reigning champions Napoli eliminated after the initial league phase and last season’s beaten finalists Inter shockingly beaten by Norwegian minnows Bodø/Glimt in the knockout phase playoffs.
It’s a similar story in both the Europa League and the Conference League, with just Bologna remaining in the former and Fiorentina in the latter. And both of them have mountains to climb if they are to reach the semifinals of their respective competitions.
Bologna and Fiorentina Have Mountains to Climb
Bologna were given a tough task when they were drawn to play tournament favourites Aston Villa, and the English outfit duly swept them aside by three goals to one in the first leg in Emilia-Romagna. Two-time finalists Fiorentina find themselves in an even worse position in the Conference League after also losing to a Premier League side, slumping to a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Online betting sites now make both English teams the clear favourites not just to progress, but also to end the season with continental silverware.
Popular betting outlet Ozoon sportsbook makes Aston Villa a 5/4 favourite to win the Europa League, while Crystal Palace find themselves in the same position in the Conference League. For Bologna and Fiorentina, a quarterfinal exit appears likely, and should that ultimately come to fruition, it would mark the first time in seven years that Italy hasn’t had a semifinalist in any European competition. So, what happened the last time around? Let’s take a look.
2018/19: Cristiano Ronaldo Unable to Bring Glory to Turin
The biggest news in the summer of 2018 was Cristiano Ronaldo’s blockbuster arrival in Turin, with Juventus forking out €112m to sign the Portuguese legend from Real Madrid. CR7 was supposed to finally deliver the Champions League to the Bianconeri at long last, and because he had won the tournament in each of the last three seasons with Los Blancos, the possibility seemed very real. Shockingly, however, Juve wouldn’t even reach the semifinals.
Max Allegri’s men pulled off a stunning comeback against Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16, overturning a two-goal first-leg deficit after Ronaldo’s stunning second-leg hat trick. However, in the quarterfinals, an upstart Ajax would continue their surprising march. The Amsterdam outfit had just knocked off reigning champions Real Madrid in their second round clash, eliminating Los Blancos from the tournament for the first time since 2015. And in the quarters, they would send Juve packing as well, winning 2-1 in the Allianz Stadium despite Ronaldo’s early opener.
But Juventus weren’t the only team to endure misery that term. Both Inter and Napoli would drop into the Europa League after finishing third in their UCL groups, then went on to lose to Eintracht Frankfurt and Arsenal, respectively. Roma did make the Champions League knockout round but were immediately eliminated in the Round of 16 by FC Porto. Milan would exit Europe’s secondary competition at the group stage, while Lazio were handily beaten by Sevilla in the Round of 32.
2015/16: Juventus Can’t Replicate Previous Season’s Heroics
In 2015, three years before Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival, Juventus reached the Champions League final, becoming the first Italian club to do so in five years. While they were ultimately beaten in the Berlin showpiece by a Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar-powered Barcelona, hopes were still high that the Bianconeri could build upon their shock run to the final. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be the case.
Juve would exit the 2015/16 Champions League at the Round of 16 after losing a thrilling two-legged tie to Bayern Munich. After a 2-2 draw in Turin, it looked as though the Italian giants would get the job done in the second leg in Bavaria, leading by two goals to nil with less than 20 minutes remaining. Then, goals from Robert Lewandowski and a last-gasp Thomas Müller header forced extra time, where the Germans would complete the comeback, winning 4-2.
Roma were also eliminated at the same stage, having been beaten 2-0 home and away by eventual champions Real Madrid. The Giallorossi’s eternal rival, Lazio, meanwhile, didn’t even reach the group stage after losing to Bayer Leverkusen in the playoffs.
That saw the Eagles drop into the Europa League. They would fare somewhat better in the continent’s secondary tournament, but ultimately fell to Slavia Prague in the Round of 16 after a shocking 3-0 home defeat in the Stadio Olimpico. Fiorentina also progressed to the knockout round of that season’s UEL, but their journey was also short-lived, losing to Tottenham Hotspur in the Round of 32.
