Italy is not an anomaly, your comment isn’t xenophobic its just not particularly conscious of football as a whole. Jermain Defoe, Joe Cole, Alan Smith… the list is endless of footballers who committed themselves to a cause and suddenly after the realisation had settled in thought better of it.
Mario Cameronesi is different however, he stated before Juve’s demotion that if the Old Lady were sent down for match fixing he would be off, he doesn’t want to play in Serie B, his in his prime as a footballer and wants to compete at the highest level, nothing wrong with that. He finally did say he would stay with Juve because he has a great affection for the club (regardless) and how they bettered him as a player. Ironically its Juventus who now want rid because Mario alongside Buffon and David Trézéguet is their only viable assists.
Italy is probably one league where you see loyalty more evident with its players. Unlike the Premiership/La Liga players such as Totti have stayed with their club through thick and thin and goal scoring machines like Cristiano Lucarelli have stayed with their local clubs not for the money but for their affiliation with the town and the club. And if by chance they do leave their love for their former club is always apparent, Alessandro Nesta has said that first thing he does after playing for AC Milan is to checked how the Biancocelesti got on. And Paulo Di Canio took a ridiculous low wage from Lazio to play for them instead of getting the basic £25,000 any Premiership club would have offered him at the time. Even more examples, Álvaro Recoba playing a season for Inter Milan without pay because of the loyalty the club showed him. Former Italian international Damiano Tommasi playing for AS Roma for £500 a week because of the faith and support the Giallorossi showed him when he did his knee in. We can't see Michael Owen refusing his £100,000 week wage with Newcastle now can we?
