Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has called on Italian clubs to match the recent achievements of their English counterparts in European competition.
Last season's Champions League final featured two English sides - Manchester United and Chelsea - while Liverpool also reached the last four.
Roma were Italy's best performers, reaching the quarter-finals before going out to eventual tournament winners United.
Inter, then under previous coach Roberto Mancini, exited at the first knockout round and former Chelsea manager Mourinho is expecting better things from Serie A's big-guns this season.
He told TV7: "We have to have the ambition of doing something good like the English teams have done in recent years, getting three teams into the Champions league semi-finals and two into the final.
"And AC Milan must win the UEFA Cup.
"They're not a team for that cup, but if they're playing in it they have to win it.
"Us, Juventus, Roma and Fiorentina will become enemies after the group stages (of the Champions League), but first all four have to try and get through to the second phase."
Italy's top sides have been very quiet in the transfer market this summer with most of the activity involving players coming in rather than going out.
The biggest name attracted to Serie A in the past couple of months has been Brazil playmaker Ronaldinho, who left Barcelona for AC Milan.
Mourinho is encouraged that the two-time former FIFA World Player of the Year opted to move to the San Siro.
The Portuguese coach added: "He's very important for Italian football.
"I spoke for two or three minutes with a few people I know at Milan during the Tim Trophy the other evening and they told us that no important players have left Serie A this season.
"They have all stayed and important players like Ronaldinho, (Roma's Jon Arne) Riise and (Inter's Sulley) Muntari have arrived.
"This is very, very important for us - the championship can become competitive and create passion all over the world."
Inter are currently in Amsterdam to take part in the LG Amsterdam Tournament.
The Nerazzurri face Sevilla in the tournament opener on Friday night.
