Three reasons why Serie A derby in Europa League is bad news for Italian football
The derby between Roma and Bologna in the Europa League Round of 16 will surely send an Italian club to the quarter-finals, but their meeting is not necessarily good news for Serie A.
Both Bologna and Roma directors have admitted that an all-Italian Europa League Round of 16 tie between Giallorossi and Rossoblu is not exactly good news for either club or Italian football. And they are not wrong.
Bologna’s Marco Di Vaio admitted he would have avoided playing Roma, while Frederic Massara argued that the Serie A derby does not favour Italy in the UEFA coefficient ranking.
Bologna vs. Roma bad for UEFA ranking
Serie A sits fifth in the ranking, but with just four clubs still involved in European competitions, including one in the Champions League, Atalanta.
Germany and Spain, Italy’s main rivals for the second place in the UEFA ranking, which will give an extra Champions League spot next season, have more representatives overall and more clubs still running in the Champions League: three for Spain and two for Germany.
Serie A will surely lose a club in the Europa League Round of 16, with Roma or Bologna eliminated, so, naturally, Italy will have even fewer chances to earn points in the race for an extra Champions League placement.
Another reason for disappointment comes when the bracket is examined.
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The other possible opponent for Bologna was Freiburg, while Roma could have met Genk.
Besides the fact that Bologna could have earned points against a German rival, Freiburg and Genk have ended up in what appears to be the softer side of the draw alongside Ferencvaros, Braga, Panathinaikos, Real Betis, Celta and Lyon.
On the other hand, the winner of Bologna-Roma will face Lille or Aston Villa, while the other four clubs on the same side of the bracket are Stuttgart, Porto, Nottingham Forest and Midtjylland.
Contrary to the Champions League, there are no clear favourites in this season’s Europa League, and both Bologna and Roma appear to be credible candidates to progress to the later stages. Such a draw, however, will only allow one Serie A club to progress to the quarter-finals.
Lastly, there’s an “emotional aspect” that must be taken into account, as noted by Bologna director Di Vaio.
Travelling abroad to face a foreign opposition unmistakably brings a different atmosphere. While Roma and Bologna will be fully motivated for either matchup, a domestic setting inevitably strips away some of the allure for both supporters and players.