Italian football was dominated by Juventus in the 2010s. The Bianconeri swept all before them to win the Scudetto nine seasons in a row from 2012 to 2020. Juve also reached the Champions League final twice, only to lose out to the Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid in 2015 and 2017, respectively. However, times have changed over the last three years as Inter Milan, AC Milan and now Napoli have claimed the title, signaling a change of the guard at the top of Serie A. When Juve were at the peak of their powers, the two Milan clubs fell down the table and out of the Champions League. Now, the two Milan clubs are back in the semi-finals of the Champions League, competing against each other in a famous showdown at San Siro over two legs. One of the two clubs will be competing in the final, so there is a great chance to find offers available through OddsChecker for either side to win the Champions League crown.
For AC Milan, it would be their first since 2007, when they gained revenge on Liverpool for their infamous 2005 defeat. Inter Milan, meanwhile, could be on course for their third triumph and first title since 2010, which was the last time an Italian team won the Champions League. Italian clubs appears to be making a charge back to the forefront of European football, which can only benefit Serie A in the long run. Napoli have been the best team in Serie A and are storming their way to the Scudettto for the first time since 1990.
Lazio have also found their rhythm under Maurizio Sarri and could well challenge for the Scudetto for the first time in 20 years next season. This raises the possibility that football across Europe could be ready to change after the dominance of one team for many years.
France and Germany
France and Germany have also been dominated by one team for the last decade. Paris Saint-Germain have won eight out of the last 10 Ligue 1 titles, while Bayern Munich have been truly imperious in the Bundesliga, winning the last 10 league crowns. This has not done much for the standard of league football in either country, although France is blooming on an international level after reaching the World Cup final for the second tournament in succession.
German football is currently going through a difficult period with Bayern’s dominance of the top flight, while the next generation of talent has failed to emerge, leading to poor performances for Die Mannschaft at the Euros and World Cup.
However, there have been signals that a new influx of talent is emerging from the ranks to open up the Bundesliga as a true competition and not a one-horse race. Bayern have not been the team of old in the 2022/23 season following the sale of Robert Lewandowski. They’ve not been able to replace his clinical edge in the final third, and this has resulted in one of the closest battles for the title in recent memory, with Borussia Dortmund the main competition.
Dortmund have been the longstanding rivals, but have also been the feeder team of almost every major side in Europe over the last 10 years, losing managers and key players to the elite. Erling Haaland’s departure could have spelled trouble this term, but Edin Terzic has kept his side on the level.
However, it’s not just Dortmund that are troubling Bayern. Union Berlin, RB Leipzig, Freiburg and Bayer Leverkusen have all played excellent football this term. Even those on the outside, such as Mainz, Eintracht, Frankfurt and Wolfsburg, are all in the reckoning. Although Bayern will naturally react in the summer to their slight slide, the rest of the pack seem more than capable than ever of sticking with the Bavarian outfit.
Paris Saint-Germain’s quest for the Champions League crown failed once again at the hands of Bayern. Christophe Galtier became the latest manager in the PSG dugout to fall short of expectations, although the club are still closing in on their ninth title in 11 years. However, Lionel Messi is poised to leave PSG after only two seasons, and rumours continue to circle about Kylian Mbappe’s long-term future.
The chasing pack are not a million miles away, with Marseille, Lens, Monaco and Lille putting the pressure on. Monaco and Lille have disrupted PSG’s winning streak and will be looking to make further inroads next term. PSG’s hold on French football seems fragile at best.
Further Afield?
The decline of the so called elite of European football will bring smiles to the faces of every figure that opposed the European Super League. The Italian clubs have shown that Juventus were completely in the wrong to believe they could create a closed shop, while PSG and Bayern could also be feeling the heat of their rivals in the near future.
Spain has no sign of abating it’s two-horse race at the top, as Barcelona and Real Madrid are seemingly trading the La Liga crown every year, with Atletico Madrid mixed in for good measure every so often. Whether that is good for the game in Spain is debatable. Their national team have also taken a drastic fall over the last decade.
Manchester City’s dominance of English football looks set to continue and their white whale of capturing the Champions League is still a possibility after they reached the semi-finals. In the Premier League, at least, City have had competition for the crown from multiple teams in their five wins out of seven under Pep Guardiola. Chelsea halted them at first, before Liverpool offered an intense rivalry for four years, while Arsenal have taken up the baton this term. Manchester United are edging their way back to relevance and there are new teams on the horizon to potentially break up the top six in the form of Newcastle, Aston Villa and even Brighton.
The next five years of action across Europe’s top leagues could bring out the biggest level of excitement in years, with new teams and players making an impact at the top to forever banish the prospect of a European Super League.
