Italian football legend laments the amount of foreigners in Serie A

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FT Desk

Milan legend Marco Simone believes the standard of Serie A has dropped significantly over the last decade and that an influx of foreign players is the issue.

Simone had a hugely successful spell at Milan between 1989 and 1997, becoming an important attacking option in one of the club’s greatest eras.

Despite competing with stars such as Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit, he made his mark with his technical ability and goalscoring, particularly during the 1994/95 season, when he scored 21 goals in all competitions.

He won four Serie A titles and two European Cups during his time at San Siro.

Italian football as a whole is in a malaise as the national team failed to qualify for their third World Cup in a row in the summer, while no team from Serie A has won the Champions League since Inter in 2010.

Inter did make the final in 2025, but were comprehensively defeated 5-0 by Paris Saint-Germain.

When asked by La Gazzetta dello Sport if he still follows Italian football, Simone replied:

“Quite a bit, even if I'm a bit disillusioned: there are too many unusual and difficult to remember names. Before, there were fewer foreign players on the pitch and more Italian protagonists.”

Simone is particularly concerned about the state of Milan, currently struggling under Ruben Amorim. The club failed to qualify for the Champions League for the last two years in a row before the Portuguese was appointed in the summer.

“I always hope Milan achieves their set objectives, but above all, that they return to winning ways," he said.

"I heard [Zvonimir] Boban's words and I agree with him: this club cannot just aim for a top-four finish to qualify for the Champions League. As a fan, I'm worried if Milan doesn't aspire to win the Scudetto.”

Furthermore, he believes strikers in modern football have it much easier than in his day when forwards got rougher treatment from opponents.

When asked how he would perform in 2026, he said:

“I don't know, but I would certainly have more chances, like all forwards. Defences in those years were really strong and gave you little space, whereas now... football has changed, and for those who play up front, the advantages are clear: with the new rules and more frequent cards, how many opponents would Maradona have got sent off?”

Even though he believes Milan should be competing in the Champions League, he thinks Milan have what it takes to go all the way in the Europa League which would ensure a seat at the top table no matter where they finish in Serie A.

“European cups, and the Champions League in particular, are in Milan's DNA. When I played in Europe in the Rossoneri shirt, I felt at home: there was a winning mentality, little pressure, and the belief that we could beat anyone." the Italian explained.

"Things have changed now, but in my opinion, Milan can do well in this Europa League and go all the way. A good result against Salzburg can provide the impetus to restart strongly in Serie A.”