Americans Abroad: The Serie A Movement
America has always searched for new frontiers, and it’s no different in soccer. Over the past couple of years, Serie A has gradually been taken over by US investors. Now, with a juicy transfer window in the books, it seems like the movement has finally reached the player pool. Ultimately, the combined success – or failure – of American players and owners in Italy could very well shape the future of soccer in North America.
In terms of interest in Serie A amongst soccer fans in North America, the Italian top flight ranked 10th in a recent survey conducted in 2022. Domestic competitions like MLS, USL, NWSL, and LigaMX ranked higher, for example, but Serie A came third when it came to ranking European league competitions. Now, Serie A could see a dramatic boost in interest with the recent influx of star USMNT players.
If Americans needed a reason to tune in, they certainly got it this summer. One of the most exciting transfer news this offseason was Timothy Weah signing for Juventus. With McKennie returning from loan at Leeds, the dream of seeing two young Americans play for a European powerhouse finally came true. Only time will tell if they can both live up to the lofty expectations in 23/24, but what’s certain is that new eyes in the US will dart towards Italy.
Between 2018 and 2023, the number of North American-owned clubs in Serie A went from one to nine. Today, six of the teams are still in Serie A, while the rest have regularly fluctuated between the first and second flight. With so many European leagues having opened up to foreign investment in recent years, what drew American firms and investors to Italy?
Many factors at bay led these American owners to pounce. Aside from most of them having Italian roots, the selling price of these teams had always been low due to mismanagement of broadcast deals, but the COVID-19 pandemic drove the prices even lower and opened up the market in an unprecedented way. Still, the biggest factor was the investors’ steadfast belief that they could finally wake these sleeping giants and successfully captivate America.
Perhaps no other club currently embodies that belief better than AC Milan. Fresh off their American acquisition in the summer of 2022, they reached the UCL semifinal for the first time since 2007. Then, they signed Pulisic and Musah this offseason. It might be just a happy coincidence, but all the ingredients are there to make AC Milan the top European team to follow for Americans.
It’s no secret that the Premier League and La Liga are booming in North America, and other European leagues are looking to emulate that success. If we see Serie A becomes the next big league here, it won’t be out of the blue. It’ll all have been the result of clever moves by American owners, as well as the talent that American players may display in Italy in these pivotal next few years.
Photography by Lorena Barros & Andrea Vílchez
