With the Champions League returning later this month, Juventus defender Stephane Lichtsteiner recently admitted his dream of winning the prestigious European competition with the Serie A holders, saying: “I want to continue to win here. It’s in the DNA of Juventus, and we have a big dream: to win the Champions League. We need to play with more tenacity and malice, and I agree you can always improve. We have been doing very well, we have conceded few goals and created a lot, but in the Champions League, you cannot make mistakes.”
The Old Lady are the only Serie A side still left in the competition after the group stages, and the decline of Italy’s best in Europe has been apparent in the last few years. There was no Serie A side in the Champions League after the second round in 2013/14, and Juventus were Italy’s only representative in the 2012/13 quarter-finals.
The last time an Italian Serie A side won the Champions League was Inter Milan in 2009/10, managed by Jose Mourinho. Since then, no Italian club have made it further than the quarters. This season, the only other Italian side in the competition, AS Roma, were knocked out in the groups, with CSKA Moscow, Manchester City and Bayern Munich for competition.
The Serie A was once the most feared leagues, where the best players would reside, and from where the most Champions League winners would come from. Between 1989 – 1996, four of the eight Champions League finals were won by an Italian club. And between 1992 – 2005, an Italian representative made 10 of the 14 Champions League finals. Since then, only AC Milan (2006/07) and Inter Milan (2009/10) have won the competition, let alone make the final.
So once again, the Bianconeri carry the hopes of a nation in the Champions League. Despite having won the last three Serie A titles, while currently sitting top of the pack this season, Juve have only made it to the quarter-finals of the competition in the last decade. They are the undisputed kings of Italy, but just haven’t been able to translate that in Europe, despite boasting world-class talent such as Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal in their midfield.
Juventus face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League second round later this month. Their Bundesliga opponents are currently in a relegation battle in Germany, but are still being tipped to many to see past the Italians over two legs. If Juve are eliminated, it’s Italy’s last hope in Europe’s top competition for another season, but if not now, then when will a Serie A side win the Champions League again?
