Certain philosophies, artforms or rituals are difficult to translate or transfer. They simply don't work outside their place of origin.
Italian singer Vasco Rossi broke the world record for ticket sales when he performed in front of over 225,000 paying fans in Modena in 2017. Yet the 67-year-old rocker would struggle to sell out the Dog and Duck in the UK.
That is often the case in sport too. A phenomenon or approach that brought dividends in one territory, stalls in another. This is amply demonstrated by the travails of Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea.
His time in the Premier League has been turbulent, abrasive and occasionally uncomfortable viewing.
Despite finishing third and reaching two finals with a hotchpotch squad, he isn't adored in South London.
Several of the top clubs in Serie A could be in the market for a new coach for next season, and Sarri is a man in demand.
Juventus and Roma will be hiring a new boss this summer. AC Milan and Inter could also be freshening things up in the dugout.
If the ex-Napoli chief leaves Stamford Bridge, he will be inundated with offers.
But how do you explain the difference in perceptions between England and Italy? You need merely ask Italian fans about Napoli from 2015 to 2018.
Naturally, the realists (and Wikipedia) will inform how many trophies Sarri's Napoli lifted: zero.
But in his last season at the San Paolo they amassed a mammoth 91 points, only finishing second behind an imperious Juventus. It was the way his team played that really caught the eye.
Sarri took the reins from Rafa Benitez. The Spaniard led the side to a Coppa Italia victory, and they produced some disciplined, safety first football. But it was often turgid, particularly his second and final season.
When Sarri arrived from Empoli in for the 2015-16 campaign, it's no overstatement to say he revolutionised the team.
After a stuttering start and brief 4-3-1-2 formation, Sarri settled on the set-up that made him an unlikely star. His 4-3-3 system seduced Napoli supporters and then the neutrals. The football was flowing and positive.
Napoli battled Juventus for the league in each of Sarri's three years at the helm. The men in pale blue were a monument to continuous midfield movement from Allan, captain Marek Hamsik and Jorginho.
That trio never stood still, depriving rivals any reference point. Napoli became synonymous with quick ball movement and one touch passing on the deck.
The speed and craftiness of wingers Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Maria Callejon gave the midfield plenty of options.
Target man Gonzalo Higuain benefited from the slick incisive football more than anyone. The Argentine set a new Serie A record when he scored 36 league goals in a season.
After Higuain left in came skillful Polish striker Arkadius Milik, but he when he suffered a serious knee injury Sarri was forced to improvise.
The unexpected solution was moving tiny Belgian wideman Dries Mertens into the centre, and the goals kept coming.
If anything, the second incarnation of Sarri's Napoli, featuring a false nine, was more electrifying and impossible to mark or contain than the version Higuain spearheaded.
Plaudits poured in from prestigious places. Arrigo Sacchi, legendary coach of the world-conquering Milan side, was an admirer. Pep Guardiola talked Napoli up at every opportunity.
Diego Maradona, aka the King of Naples, gave Sarri his regal approval. Even supporters of the Azzurri's fiercest rivals admitted that they were a joy to witness.
Injuries and a relatively small squad denied Sarri silverware in his three years in Naples.
But the men in powerful positions at Serie A's top sides are intrigued to see what he could conjure up with better resources and some financial backing in 2019-20.
Former bank worker Sarri isn't the type to slam a wish list of expensive signings on his boss's desk. Indeed, he often repeats that he is a coach, who is happy to develop the players he finds upon arrival. That is very attractive to potential employers.
His Earthy character would also be tolerated back in Italy. You don't have to be a smooth operator to work in Serie A.
Gennaro Gattuso, currently in charge of Milan, plus Walter Mazzarri and Gian Piero Gasperini, working wonders with Torino and Atalanta respectively, aren't exactly George Clooney when it comes to charm.
Sarri, who was born in Naples but moved to Tuscany aged five, claims he is a product of his surroundings. 'I am Tuscan. We are blunt. We can be argumentative, but we're genuine.' says the Chelsea chief.
Regardless of the outcome of the Europa League final, or the fact Sarri's Chelsea finished above Spurs, Manchester United and Arsenal, many Blues fans want to see the back of the gruff Italian.
The man himself isn't the sort to care what others think, and back home he's got almost enough suitors to fill a Vasco Rossi concert.