Italian football clubs are back on top but don’t expect Serie A’s revival to last very long  

This week’s events in European football make it tempting to believe that we are heading back to the early 1990s when the Italian game ruled the world.

AC Milan or Inter Milan are playing the final of the Champions League this season, Juventus have reached the semi-finals of the Europa League and Fiorentina are in the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.

Italian football is finally making itself heard again.

A repeat of the Serie A clean sweep of 1990 – when Milan won the European Cup, Sampdoria the Cup-Winners’ Cup and Juventus the UEFA Cup – is an outside bet, but this season’s performance isn’t bad for a league many are considered to be broken beyond repair.

The difficulty with Serie A is that it is still judged by the standards of the 1980s and 1990s, when the wealth in the league far exceeded what the clubs have available today.

AC Milan rocked Tottenham Hotspur and Napoli on their way to this year’s semi-finals

When Inter and Milan met in the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2003, there were stars like Paolo Maldini, Andriy Shevchenko, Fabio Cannavaro, Clarence Seedorf, Hernan Crespo, Andrea Pirlo and Javier Zanetti.

Of the current teams, only Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan belongs in that group, although his teammate Rafael Leao and Inter’s Lautaro Martinez also deserve a mention.

But if Serie A was once known for its star players, today it should be celebrated for its coaching and scouting, with Napoli being the best example. Luciano Spalletti is a notoriously abrasive character, but his teams have been playing football to watch for over two decades and with Napoli he will soon take his first Serie A title.

How many of the Premier League’s Big Six were aware of Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia or South Korean centre-back Kim Min-jae falling over each other as they tried to sign players for £50m and more?

Napoli bought the pair together for less than £30 million and would now expect to sell them about five times as much.

Milan are not as exciting as Napoli, but manager Stefano Pioli has found a tactical plan that limited Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, two of the world’s best strikers, to one goal in three games between the round of 16 of the Champions League and quarter-finals. And in Maignan they have arguably the best goalkeeper in the world. Switching costs? About £12 million from Lille.

On the other side of town, Inter boss Simone Inzaghi is on loan after a hugely disappointing league campaign, but the younger brother of former Milan striker Filippo and Italy is coming alive in the cup competitions, having won six in charge Lazio and Inter.

Napoli crashed out of the Champions League this year despite their impressive domestic form

Max Allegri and Jose Mourinho’s press conferences are much more fun than the football they play, but Juventus and Roma are durable competitors – even if Mourinho’s men are the most conservative Roma team I’ve seen in nearly 20 years. Francesco Totti can’t get much pleasure from looking at his old side.

On the other hand, Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri is a superstar. His style and personality may not have translated to English football at Chelsea, but his coaching skills are beyond question. That is why Lazio is second in the league with a relatively modest selection.

The resurgence of Italian football is therefore welcome, but it would come as no surprise if it declines again next season.

Most stadiums in Italy haven’t been touched since Italia ’90 and while Inter and Milan are talking big about moving to new homes, it’s hard to imagine them leaving San Siro in the medium term.

The fervor of supporters at even mid-tier Italian clubs is surprising, but they lack the marketing know-how to make the most of it.

Jose Mourinho has kept Roma efficient as they continue to shine on the European stage

AC Milan will hope that victory over Serie A leaders Napoli can boost their run

Rather than trying to work together to maximize Serie A’s global appeal, club leaders seem more interested in scoring cheap runs against each other.

Italian football’s place in the world order is up for debate, but when it comes to shooting themselves in the foot, they are on their own.

No wonder the national team is struggling again when the clubs have as little interest in promoting homegrown talent as their English counterparts.

Against this background, the coaches do their impressive work. If Italian football is on the decline, it is in spite of the system, not because of the system. It would be a remarkable effort to make the revival last.