Serie A feels the pinch

Europe is facing a huge economic crisis and, judging by the action – or, rather, lack of – in the January transfer window, even the money-inflated world of football is feeling the backlash of the economic meltdown.

Italy is one the countries that have been hit the hardest by the economic crunch, and teams in Serie A have been largely parsimonious over the last 31 days.

While the days were the Italian league could play hardball with all the other European leagues in terms of wages and fees are long gone, in the past Serie A has seen big transfers being completed in January.

But there was none of it, this time around.

Inter have maintained their policy of spending very little while pocketing big fees – a drastic change from years gone by, when Moratti was only to happy to splash cash around – waving goodbye to another member of the treble winning team of 2010.

Thiago Motta joined newly-rich PSG in a move worth €10 mil, while Inter secured Angelo Palombo on-loan from Sampdoria and 25-year-old Fredy Guarin from Porto.

Those Milan fans that had been dreaming about Tevez, were in for a rude awakening yesterday, when former Portsmouth and Sunderland man Sulley Muntari was unveiled as their new signing, in a loan move from cross-city rivals Inter.

Milan have their Argentine up front though, with Maxi Lopez joining on loan from Catania, while summer signing Taiwo followed Lazio’s Djibril Cisse to Mark Hughes’ QPR.

Time will tell but, judging on their signings, both Milan teams seem to have already given up any hopes of mounting a serious challenge for Europe’s biggest prize.

The gulf in terms of class and depth between them and Real Madrid and Barcelona seems to be growing larger, particularly because both, the Neroazzurri and the Rossoneri, lack the financial muscle to compete with the two Spanish giants.

Top of the table Juventus completed the sign of Simone Padoin. The 27-year-old midfield enforcer joins from Atalanta in a €5 mil deal, while Michele Pazienza went on loan to title challengers Udines.

The Turin outfit have also managed to offload three of their misfiring strikers, with Vincenzo Iaquinta on loan to Cesena, former World Cup star Luca Toni moving to Al Nasr while Amauri will ply his trade with Fiorentina – how times change, years ago transfers between these two clubs would have been met with furious reactions.

Napoli have added Novothny and Chilean Edu Vargas to their team, while waving goodbye to Santana and Mascara.

Italian football is definitely feeling the pinch but, then again, you could spend £85 million on deadline day and be stuck with Fernando Torres and Andy Carroll.

Daniele Cancian @MUFC_dan87