Gone are the days of Serie A attracting and paying the world’s richest players. Like the country itself, most Italian clubs are looking inward as they enter an age of austerity.
Raiola, the powerful agent who represents Zlatan Ibrahimovic, said A.C. Milan sold his client to PSG out of economic necessity, according to Football Italia.
“Milan’s decision to sell him was a necessary one and in line with the economical conditions of the country,” Raiola told Sky Italia.
“It’s time for Italian football to change its mentality and come up with new ideas. The top players will no longer arrive in Italy, but the country can develop them. We have to realise that an era has come to an end, but I’m certain a new one will start.”
Milan is reeling from the departures of defender Thiago Silva, Ibrahimovic and a number of other veteran stars since the end of the season. The Italian giant is completing the process of trimming its mammoth payroll to a sustainable figure, which is in line with the current financial climate.
Galliani has been a Milan executive for over 25 years and has seen a host players enter and exit the San Siro. While international superstars will not flood Serie A (as they have in previous cycles) in the coming years, Galliani thinks Italian clubs will still field strong teams, according to ESPN.
“I agree with Mino Raiola, who says that top players are no longer coming to Italy,” Galliani said. “The top players no longer come, but we can form a team. We see they are not arriving, but we will see what we can do.”
So players like Silva, Ibrahimovic and Ronaldinho may not be heading to Italy in the next few years, and Italian soccer faces an uncertain future — especially in the near term. Many are wondering if its clubs (the big ones in particular) can keep pace with their competitors in Europe during this time of economic difficulty.
That is unknown, but Italy is still home to some of the world’s best coaches and scouts. The systems that produced FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions League winners remain in place, and it’s only a matter of time before a new generation of heroes emerge from within the soccer-mad country.
When they do, men like Raiola will be there to help them become rich beyond their wildest dreams. And the Galliani’s of the world will be there to give them the jerseys they always dreamed about wearing.
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Photo via Flickr/Carlos Trindade Fotojornalista
