I think to attract interest domestically, the clubs apart from just star power have to be intelligent marketing commodities. The Italian clubs whether for the lack of cultural understanding or laziness or foresight have not understood this strategy and it's benefits in its entirety. A league doesn't necessarily get popular because CR7 is part of the team (a player of that calibre is surely a game changing element no doubt) but point being there's a lot more that's required. Italian clubs have sat on a high horse for far too long, and taken their position for granted when they were the 'it league'. They didn't understand the business of the game, in say, the same way Epl did.
When we talk about being a second tier league, it's not just because there's no Ibra, Messi or Falcao. Or that Inter and Milan are not the powerhouses we know them to be traditionally. It's because, they haven't integrated with the modular aspect of the game, as it is today. They dont have their own stadiums, they still fight over tv rights, and their short sighted marketing modules which should be aimed at making them visible in developing countries, with so much untapped potential, don't even have that in focus. It is here, that people have all the spending power but they have no reference point. Theyre not bound by tradition, so will always likely support a team that's visible on the pitch and accessible on some level, off it.
When you don't have the resources to buy a CR7 to mobilize opinions, then you should have equally sound strategy to offset the equation. Milan, Juve and Inter are all guilty of that. That is where the difference lies. Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, will all make it a point to go east in pre season, but where do Juve, Milan and Inter go, if they go at all? USA?! Seriously?! That approach is never going to give them the visibility they need especially at time they don't have the presence in the CL against more illustrious, forward thinking competition. Italy is tied to football culturally, and the big clubs will always have support coming from within that domain, the benefit to which is, they have the leeway to go and find new fans, and increase their base, rather than appeasing those who will always be around, since it's family tradition.
Juventus in some ways has modernized its approach, but is still a long way off from being recognized as a popular football club in this era. Even Bayern, that on the surface of it have come from a weaker league have used their tradition and resources to garner the right kind of visibility and press, while they were building to be the team they are today - by going to all sorts of young markets and that holds them in good stead today. Winning the CL has converted lots of fans for sure, but that conversion rate perhaps wouldn't have been as rapid if they didn't come on tours, or set up annual coaching clinics in destinations most Italian clubs would scoff at.
I guess, all in all, it's a bit of a vicious cycle, but when it comes to bucking the trend, or even reversing it, the marketing mindset maybe a great place to start.
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