Inter coach José Mourinho expressed himself with the statement that the Italian football has lost prestige internationally and has outside of the boot in recent years lost much of its significance. The Spanish league, the Premier, and even the German Bundesliga would get far more attention internationally (ie TV time) and the Italian's favorite competition. One must wonder why the Serie A in Germany or England is not transferred and the world more fall behind. Well, if it had stayed with Mourinho, the Italian wounded heart would have perhaps dismissed as the usual challenge of the hour, especially since the passionate Unsympathen and Portuguese in the service of all of the FC Internazionale comes. Just that Mourinho, who made a name for himself at Chelsea in letting high-quality tactical play but unspectacular effort result football. Yesterday, however, are reports Adriano Galliani, league-leader and Intermins chairman of AC Milan, to speak and joins the statements Mourinho:

"Again, I agree somewhat agree with Mourinho. We need to do very much, because the appeal of Italian football has decreased. (...) When I watch the Premier League with this beautiful lawn, full stadiums, the excellent TV coverage and many other things, gives the impression of a product with much more appeal than ours, where you can see empty stadiums, ugly grandstands and ugly lawn. "

Well, in principle, the observation is no denying, Birgit Schönau was already worth in January on a point , insofar as it is no wonder that the issue is only now on the table. Perhaps it took so foreign speakers to break the cycle of a typical Italian "and Weiterwurschteln hush." Equally pleasing as surprising is that neither Mourinho nor Galliani could be carried away to the usual explanation that violent fans were to blame and we must now proceed harder against people with flash bangers. But what then is truth in the statements?

Spread in Europe for years, only the AC Milan, in Italy that ever played football. The old lady had long Juve foremost concerned with the domestic arbitrators and is now only beginning to free itself from the quagmire of political calcio. Inter were in the top tier of European football for the last time successfully, as the Cup was not carved in stone and the Roma is at most times on when they can pour 7 goals from Manchester United.

Is the oh-so-typical catenaccio while there for decades, only the incorrigible escapist vocabulary German sports journalists (an excellent example of combining complete fußballerischer ignorance with age-old prejudices Sebastian Hellmann's was moderated by Fiorentina vs Bayern Munich on Sat 1), but the Italian League continues to be characterized by some spectacular football but tactically sophisticated result. But it was always like that and while it enjoys in the Bundesliga and the Premier League to a 5-4, Italian home audience would whistle even if the opposing attacker has 50 inches of space to turn around. It does not have to like, but it is entirely unjustified one, yes the game did not become world champion.

The stadiums are old, dirty and empty. With the exception of the two Milano crowd pullers, one must ensure that leave unchallenged. Recently, I never imagined the transfer of Palermo in there looked at against Inter and won a lot of impressions of a terribly ugly concrete bowl with a few pink speckles. The Turin derby was not even sold out recently. Roma against Lazio? Many empty seats.

Assuming that the English operetta league with their combined purchases mercenary troops around her gelled pretty boy Cristiano Ronaldo, their Arab, Russian and American "investors" her while full but largely atmospheric liberated stages with exorbitant ticket prices really can not be a model for further development, is to answer the question raised by Mourinho's really overdue for years. Especially Italy Soccer fever is unabated, and indeed has not done as a political calcio waning interest in the sport. Furthermore, there are 3 daily newspapers deal almost exclusively with football, is still spoken in the office Monday morning about nothing else.

Now, pay TV in Italy is widespread and Gallianis big boss is here indeed was in charge. In times of tight budgets and high admission prices are gathered in the sports bars on the big screen. It costs nothing and provides at least this can be the feeling of watching a play in society. Alone in my small town there is a good two dozen bars, all of which carry possible matches. The number of private subscribers to Sky and Mediaset would be drown every premiere Manager with joy the Benz.

The stadiums are - with the exception of Milan's San Siro -. In a poor condition and are reminiscent of the Leipzig Central Stadium before the turn of Juventus is built just a decent venue and return to the traditional but atmospherically insufficient "delle Alpi" back. International is planning a straight new stadium . All other clubs have enough to do to smuggle monthly salaries to the creditors to pass into the locker room. Here was wasted by missed EM application a huge opportunity, the footballing infrastructure in the state of the 21 To lift the century. And I'm not talking about VIP lounges and easy chairs - bars with no risk of salmonella, drumrum block away without wire cage, not rusted railings and access to public transport would indeed be enough.

Anyone who wants can then still in the stadium, but this is not so easily. The completely turned anti-terror laws against football fans make sure that you can not buy easily a ticket. Ausfährtsfahrten are banned more often than allowed , the sale of tickets is possible only on presentation of identity card, tax ID (for children) and a current urine tests. Transparent weeks have previously registered, arbitrary exclusion from stadiums and sometimes ne execution on the highway rest area lead to the resolution of decades old fan groups, megaphones and pyrotechnics are completely banned for 2 years. In this way it has indeed turned the juice of the ultras, so visit the stadium but still made no appeal to the average visitor. Especially not in a country whose average income is one third lower than in Germany.

At the Italian influenced highly disciplined football tactics will not lie, because you have become accustomed over the last hundred years, and England's Premier is interesting not only since the departure from the kick and rush. Perhaps it would be worth considering that the matted, mafia and is spared on personal relationships based opaque league of foreign investors such as an infectious disease - the scandal was at Juventus manager Luciano Moggi's only the tip of the iceberg, never refurbished. The sometimes grotesque over-indebted Italian clubs of legislation and yet imaginative fantasy fuller interpretation of the same year somehow alive, without ever having had reasonable room for a fresh start. Seemingly dead balance corpses kick in the Serie A more than enough money for new stadiums or even top players are not natural - it is surely no coincidence that the world champion Barzagli, Zaccardo and Luca Toni change calculated in the ridiculed Bundesliga from abroad but only expelled stars such as Ronaldinho, Zambrotta, Shevchenko and Quaresma go to Italy.

The fact is that in fact is quite lazy in Italian football operation. Nepotism, personal alliances and economic ties strange, esoteric, new age, accounting, rampant corruption, indebtedness, and yes, even a problem with violence amongst fans contribute to a fairly bleak picture. And it would change on that very Adriano Galliani, in these states something like this:

• Real crackdown on corruption and manipulation in the league.
• Bang hard enforcing the financial obligations of the clubs.
• Renovation of the sporting infrastructure.
• Influence in favor of a civilized television coverage .
• Rebuilding a competitive referee caste.

But, I have no faith that with the current leaders move anything. The reflexive shifting of the blame for the lobby without ultras of course, is easier and does not call into question the corrupt system.

But, well ...

The Italian football champions Inter Milan has to deal with mounting financial problems. The top team ended the financial year 2007/2008 indicate a loss of 148 million euros. In four years, gathered at the Milan club, led by oil tycoon Massimo Moratti debt of 500 million euros.

Source: SZ online from 20.11.2008