EDITORIAL: As they celebrated the Special One, last week could be a watershed for Serie A. Just days before Jose Mourinho masterminded Inter Milan's victory over Barcelona, the Premier League signed off on a £1 billion overseas TV rights deal and Real Madrid announced they had sold over 1 million Cristiano Ronaldo shirts - raking in £100 million-plus in the process.
Do you think the Italian media now get it? It may have taken the unexpected silencing of Lionel Messi at the San Siro, but you hope for Serie A's sake that the local press will reverse their obvious push to drive the former Chelsea manager out of the country.
When he arrived at Inter, Mourinho made clear the need for Italian football to sell itself better. And while the stadiums appear untouched since the 1980's and the Lega demand ridiculous prices for overseas TV rights, Mourinho has tried, single-handedly in most respects, to lift the profile of Serie A around the world.
But instead of recognising his attempts, the Italian media, at various times this season, have pushed for Mourinho to be suspended - and even thrown out of the country.
This from the same football nation that blazed a trail in the 1990's when Genoa brought Kazu Miura from Japan and opened up the game to the Far East.
But now it appears Italian football doesn't want to change. Or is happy to change, but only on their terms. The game is now global, it's more than formations and catenaccio. The Premier League recognises this - throwing open their doors and showing the same respect for the opinion of fans living in Nairobi or Nagasaki as those in London or Manchester. And English football has been rewarded for it.
What could Serie A clubs do with £1 billion? New stadiums for all, bigger name players, retaining those they have developed and also improving the methods of selling their league around the world.
The Derby d'Italia, the Milan games, they're massive occasions which stack up against anything on offer in England or Spain. But no-one beyond Italy's borders are interested in tuning in. Serie A has lost it's cache and the gate-keepers are threatening to make a deteriorating situation even worse.
Mourinho is Serie A's biggest name, someone who attracts interest, TV and internet ratings from football fans around the world. He is not only a headliner in the show - he is the show.
Those anti-Mourinho in the Italian media need to check their egos at the door and allow the Special One to sell Serie A in his own way. Take some hits for the good of the sport and enjoy the ride.
Mourinho and his ilk can transform Serie A's global reputation and bring riches back to the game - if they're given room to.
