Watching Milan fans hanging from lamp posts and dodging firecrackers amid the thousands of red and black flags that lined the bus route through the city you could hardly doubt that Italy is in love with football again.

The pain of last season’s match-fixing scandal and the shock at the death of a policeman during riots at Catania in February had whittled away an attachment to soccer which few other nations can ever have matched.

Last July’s World Cup win was greeted by euphoria but mainly because Italians were so surprised that they had won. Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Liverpool in the Champions League final was instead celebrated in a manner which suggested Italy believes it is rightfully back at the top.

The open top bus ride through Milan on Thursday took two hours longer than planned because of the throng of supporters while the mayoress said the city was the centre of world football again given Milan’s victory and Inter’s 15th scudetto.

Look beneath the surface and you could still say that England and Spain hold the trump cards. We had an all-Spanish UEFA Cup final and there were three English teams in the Champions League semi-finals after all. Milan also had to bring in a fading Ronaldo midway through the season while Inter are desperately trying to keep Luis Figo, who admits himself he is past his best.

But some big summer signings and a more competitive Serie A next season, with everyone starting on the same points and Juventus back in the picture, will further repair Italy’s passion for the game.

Marks Meadows is a Reuters sports correspondent in Milan