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Italy's top tier of professional football has long been a resource of global giants of the game. With some of the most well known clubs in the world, superstars in every corner, and a brand of football that is unmatched by any other domestic competition, Serie A is a sight to behold.

Ranked as one of the top leagues in Europe by UEFA, the Italian Serie A has been in existence since 1898, and in its current format for more than 80 years. Twenty teams contest the seasonal competition, with the three relegated clubs heading to Serie B, and the top teams from that competition promoted into Serie A. In addition, the highest finishing teams in the Italian league will win a place in the following season of either the Champions League or Europa League. Inter Milan managed to achieve the "treble" for the first time in the country's history in 2009-10, winning the Serie A, Coppa Italia, and Champions League titles.

Similar to the English Premier League and Spanish La Liga, Italy's Serie A boasts a number of the biggest stars in world football. Players like Ronaldinho, Wesley Sneijder, and Gianluigi Buffon all ply their trade in Italy at the moment, and the country has also been home to stars like Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, and Kaka in years gone by.

In recent decades, only three clubs have truly dominated the league. Juventus, Inter Milan, and AC Milan have won 62 championships out of 106 between them; however, both Juventus and AC Milan have fallen down the ranks in recent years, and teams like Roma and Fiorentina have stepped in to take their European places. Despite all of this - and the Calciopoli scandal that saw Juventus lose two of their most recent titles - the Old Lady have won a record 27 Serie A championships, nine more than second placed Inter.

Over the past few years, there has really only been one contender for the best team in Italy. Inter Milan have won the past five league titles in a row, picked up the treble last season, and produced a fantastic run to the Champions League final - where they eventually defeated Bayern Munich 2-0. And while Jose Murinho has moved on to greener pastures with Real Madrid, the club still possesses one of the strongest squads on paper.

For more information on other European domestic leagues, or the Champions League itself, simply visit the relevant links from our Football Guides page.