Ibrahimovic, Melo hold key to Italian pride

ROME: It may seem unlikely but a Brazilian and a Swede hold the key to Italy's Serie A's sense of self-esteem and well-being.

Italian soccer, on a high with the 2006 world title, has been getting used to knocks in recent years and they have been aplenty, both on and off the pitch.

Not so long ago, Serie A was the strongest league in Europe; now it is almost a secondary league.