Italian sides are looking to invest in a bid to compete with the mega-rich Premier League after no Serie A side made the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2004.

AS Roma’s quarter-final defeat by Manchester United on Wednesday ended the Italian challenge with England again having three teams in the last four.

Last year AC Milan beat United before overcoming Liverpool in the final to show Serie A was still a force, but now Italian clubs knows they are fighting a losing battle unless they can spend big.

Fresh investment is certainly on the cards. Media reports have long linked Roma with a possible takeover and the latest speculation suggests billionaire financier George Soros is close to buying the club.
 
Roma’s controlling family, the Sensis, have previously denied they were looking to sell but the chance to reinvigorate a promising Roma side may be too tempting.

“Manchester is a really great team, but soon Roma will be at this level,” Daniele De Rossi told reporters after missing a penalty in Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat, which gave United a 3-0 aggregate win.

INCREASING AGE

Juventus, hoping to return to the Champions League next season, have long been backed by Fiat money but that has begun to dry up.

Russian steel group Severstal, who declined to comment, were mentioned in the Italian press this week as being interested in taking a stake in the Turin club.

Milan, eliminated by Arsenal in the first knockout round, are openly courting Barcelona’s Ronaldinho and former striker Andriy Shevchenko, now at Chelsea.

Sitting fifth in Serie A and in real danger of not making the Champions League next term, Milan have been accused of buying players slightly past their best.

The increasing age of the side is also a concern to many fans this season, given that rich English clubs are buying the best youngsters and letting them mature—like United’s Cristiano Ronaldo—or taking players in their prime like Liverpool’s purchase of Fernando Torres.

Inter Milan, beaten by Liverpool in the last 16, are four points clear at the top of Serie A but all is not well.

“The Inter that seemed to have a perfect formation last season now seems to need a few reinforcements,” coach Roberto Mancini said this week.

“Time passes for the better players too, and it could be important to rejuvenate the squad a bit.”

His position is under scrutiny after he announced last month he wanted to resign in May before changing his mind.

Inter have been heavily linked in the media with former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, who would love the challenge of putting Serie A back at the top again.

But he would need money—and lots of it.