Well I think different than both of you. If I was a Genoa or Fiorentina or Roma fan, I would agree. But we are one of the the top 3 teams in Serie A, if we don't make the top 3 then we simply don't deserve to play there, sure I would hate seeing that, but that's the reality. Look at the 4th teams of Serie A and how they are struggling in CL, they don't deserve to be in CL. If we don't qualify? then we don't deserve, what if we make 5th? or last? There is no Ifs and buts here, you want to qualify? then work hard and end up top 3, not a huge task for Juve.
I will not sit here and make drama out of this situation, Italians deserved it long time ago. I will not go and cheer for Italians team to secure my ass to stay in CL, I prefer my team securing the spot itself.
Oh, and think about it this way, when was the last time Juve didn't make the top 3 in the league (putting Serie B aside).
@ Sergio: You are exaggerating man, Italian league will not go down to that level (Portuguese league). First because of the financial support the teams have, and also the fans and the prestige of the big teams. As for Germans overtaking the Italians, German league is in rise, and Serie A is in fall, just recently Italians started to rise again, we can't hope Germans to fail to save Serie A ass. Italians need to spend wisely, or sell clubs (Milan or Roma) to rich people if they want to stay in the competition. There is no more tradition in football, this is how it runs these days, if you want to be competitive.
Snoop, as much as people want to make it about Juve, it isn't all about them. Its about the overall health of Serie A.
What concerns me about teams such as Milan and Fiorentina for example, is how they have used their recent Champions league appearances to "make or break" their financial security. If teams are that dependant on a single tournament for them to stay afloat as a solvent and relevant club, then there are far greater concerns at hand.
Milan doesn't qualify for the CL, they are forced to sell Kaka away and replace him with nobody. Fiorentina makes the CL this year, and basically state that now they can spend money.
To me, counting on a tournament to finance your team is financial suicide. This is what happened with Juve several years ago. They became so dependent on this money that they basically had to start all over again. From missing a tournament for a couple of seasons? Really? That was the sign of a team that got itself into a huge mess, much like you are seeing with Milan at the moment.
Its bad business, and the points that I made in my previous post are legitimate reasons why, in my opinion.
Now thankfully, Juve were forced to pull back the purse strings a little and operate more sensibly, much like the way they are doing it now. And that's great for them, and for us as their supporters. But unless there is a serious change in how things are done in Italy, its going to end up being Inter and Juve as the big fish in a little pond. I don't want to see that happen. I would like to see a league that is healthy, where any number of teams can realistically challenge for a title and for trophies, in Italy and in europe.
You may think I'm exaggerating, but I've seen signs like this before in other sports, and its a sobering sight.
Lega Calcio, being reactive instead of pro-active, have at least started to put the wheels in motion with the sharing of television revenue. People may not like it, and it might hurt in the short term, but overall it will be a benefit to the entire league. It is up to the owners of the smaller teams to take that money and re-invest in the clubs, and invest wisely. There should be a requirement for those teams to spend a percentage of said revenue on the team itslef, not just put it under a mattress and hope for the best.