The most surprising aspect of Italy’s decades-long decline is that anybody is still surprised by it.
Gianluigi Buffon, one of the greatest goalkeepers in history, called it hours after the defending champions had been knocked out in the group stage of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. ‘In a few years’ time, just qualifying for World Cups will be a cause for celebration, let alone winning them,’ he said, after failing to get out of a group that included New Zealand, Slovakia and Paraguay.
Five years later, Antonio Conte, one of the best managers of his era, also sounded the alarm. During two years as Italy coach, Conte repeatedly highlighted the lack of care for the national team from clubs.
Few listened to Buffon or Conte, and they’re not listening now. Why? Because when push comes to shove, nobody in Italy is bothered enough about the national team to try to do anything to improve the situation.
The result is that while Italy are making strides in cricket (as many wins in that World Cup as the football one since they were last crowned champions of their national obsession), rugby union (beating England for the first time) and even baseball (stunning the United States and Mexico to reach the semi-finals at this month’s World Baseball Classic, the sport’s equivalent of the World Cup), the football is stagnant.
They have missed the last two World Cups, with their lone win since 2006 coming when Mario Balotelli scored in a 2-1 victory over England 12 years ago. Now, after being hammered twice by group winners Norway in qualifying, they need to beat Northern Ireland on Thursday, followed by Wales or Bosnia on Tuesday, to reach this year’s finals.
Gianluigi Buffon predicted Italy’s decline soon after they were knocked out of the 2010 World Cup as defending champions, following a 3-2 defeat by Slovakia in Johannesburg
Italy have won as many games at the Cricket World Cup as the football one since they last lifted the trophy in 2006
Home and away defeats by Erling Haaland’s Norway in qualifying mean Italy must win a pair of play-off games to avoid missing their third consecutive World Cup
When Germany saw the warning signs around the turn of the century, there was huge investment in academies and greater emphasis on attacking football. Most of the football movement bought in – and they won the World Cup in 2014. Spain’s unrivalled youth systems delivered a World Cup and three European titles this century. Though they have yet to lift a major trophy, the results of England’s investment in St George’s Park are there for all to see.
It must be remembered that Italy were European champions in 2021 yet when the Azzurri win, they are often fighting internal forces. Italian authorities could not even find a few days in the calendar for current head coach Gennaro Gattuso to hold a training camp earlier this year. Nothing important at stake, eh? Only the prospect of missing out a third successive World Cup.
Instead, poor old Gattuso – a World Cup winner 20 years ago, don’t forget – had to arrange a few get-togethers with potential squad members. There were a couple of dinners in Italy and another in London. What a farce.
Clashes between clubs and national associations are normal across the world. In few places, though, does the system seem to act directly against the interests of the international side as much as in Italy. Here, Daily Mail Sport looks at where it has all gone wrong.
‘You’ll never win anything with kids’
Since Roberto Baggio retired, the most admired Italian footballer globally has been Andrea Pirlo. A supreme technician who would have shone in any era, Pirlo won 16 major trophies with AC Milan and Juventus.
Along with Fabio Cannavaro and Buffon, he was one of the pillars of Italy’s 2006 World Cup triumph and he inspired them to the final of Euro 2012. He finished with 116 caps and reached the summit – largely in spite of the climate in which he was raised.
Somehow, Pirlo did not play for Italy until he was 23. Among his peers, Xavi Hernandez, Patrick Vieira and Steven Gerrard were 20 when they made their international debuts. Juan Roman Riquelme was 19, as was Bastian Schweinsteiger. Clarence Seedorf was a year younger.
Despite buying him when he was 19, Inter Milan never trusted Pirlo and instead sent him on loan to Reggina and Brescia before selling him to their city rivals in 2001. Pirlo switched from a No 10 to midfield playmaker thanks only to the intuition of veteran coach Carlo Mazzone at Brescia.
Andrea Pirlo (centre) was one of the pillars of Italy’s success, but even he was not given his breakthrough until relatively late
Head coach Gennaro Gattuso is being frustrated by an inability to meet up with his own players
It was a mere stroke of luck that Pirlo ever ended up in the role that would be named after him.
It is easy to say Pirlo would have broken through eventually but without that sliding doors moment, who knows? Though Italy have been successful at youth level in recent years, players like Luca Reggiani, Samuele Inacio and Filippo Mane have had to move to Borussia Dortmund for a first-team chance.
Back home, bright talents like Luis Hasa, Kevin Zeroli and Mattia Liberali slog it out in Serie B, slipping ever further from the top flight. Doubtless that would have happened to the Dortmund trio, too, if they’d remained in Italy.
Then there is Antonio Vergara, who has quickly become a key player for hometown club Napoli and but for a foot injury, would have been in Gattuso’s squad for these ties. So why was he ignored until the age of 23? Federico Dimarco is one of the best left backs in Europe but did not break through at Inter until he was the same age.
Meanwhile, steady but unremarkable footballers from overseas like Lloyd Kelly, Alexis Saelemaekers and Carlos Augusto continue to rack up minutes.
When Serie A was the world’s strongest league, nobody minded if young Italians were being kept out of the team by Ronaldo or Gabriel Batistuta. Now, though, the landscape is very different.
Atalanta were Italy’s only representative in the last 16 of the Champions League, and they were thumped 10-2 by Bayern Munich on aggregate. Last year’s runners-up Inter lost home and away to Bodo/Glimt in the knockout play-offs, Juventus squandered a spirited fightback to lose to Galatasaray, and Serie A holders Napoli finished 30th of 36 in the group stage with just eight points from eight games.
Will anyone have the courage or the power to change things?
Samuele Inacio (left) and Luca Reggiani (right) have moved to Borussia Dortmund in search of game time
Federico Dimarco (left) did not become a regular at Inter until he was 23, while overseas imports such as Alexis Saelemaekers (right) is racking up minutes for cross-city rivals Milan
Italian clubs suffered a chastening Champions League campaign – only Atalanta made it to the last 16, where they were thumped 10-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich
Talking themselves down
Forget the two missed World Cup qualifications for a moment. Wind the clock back a little further and since the turn of the century, Italy have been to four major finals, winning the World Cup 20 years ago and the European Championship in 2021. Among European nations, that is bettered only by Spain’s four trophies.
A record to be proud of, you would think. Instead, Italian football has spent most of the last 20 years fighting an identity crisis. Instead of showing pride in their outstanding defensive tradition and tactical flexibility, Italy have tried to mimic Spanish pass-and-move or French speed and agility. Not surprisingly, they have lost their way.
English football is mocked around the world for talking up England teams and players despite never having lifted a World Cup or European Championship outside their homeland. In Italy, there is the opposite problem. After the initial joy, the victories are quickly explained away and dismissed.
When Italy lose, everyone says ‘told you so!’ Sadly the hand-wringing is rarely followed by constructive action. There is a similar perception at clubs: ‘Italian players are not up to it, so let’s find better ones from elsewhere.’
That is why Serie A academies are full of youngsters from overseas. It’s why young Italians shine for big clubs on pre-season tours and are never seen again. Take wealthy Como, managed by Cesc Fabregas, who has not given a single start to an Italian this season.
Euro 2020 winner Federico Bernardeschi believes the trend extends to fans and media, too. ‘It’s almost like people enjoy it when the national team perform poorly,’ he told La Gazzetta dello Sport’s podcast, La Tripletta.
‘When a player makes his international debut, I feel like some people can’t wait to say “Ah, look, he’s not good enough”. As an Italian, it’s something horrible both to see and to experience. From fans to media and everyone else, people must remember that the national team is precious and we need to look after it. Otherwise, you end up in a situation where players are scared to wear the shirt.’
It is wrong to expect fans and media to follow the party line but Bernardeschi could just as easily have aimed his criticism at those in senior positions at leading clubs. When so many with a stake in Italian football continue to talk it down, is it any surprise when the team’s performance is affected?
England are mocked for talking up their teams and players despite never having lifted a World Cup or European Championship outside their homeland. In Italy, there is the opposite problem
Euro 2020 winner Federico Bernardeschi believes the Italian public are too quick to talk down their own players
What is the plan?
Every couple of months, another bloke in a suit will come up with an idea for reform. And whenever he does, most people shrug and carry on exactly as before.
This was Italian FA chief Gabriele Gravina earlier this month, sounding as though he had it all worked out. He spoke about ‘a revolutionary project,’ adding quickly that this ‘wouldn’t bear fruit tomorrow, but in a few years’.
The 2006 heroes Gianluca Zambrotta and Simone Perrotta are on board along with Cesare Prandelli, who coached Italy to the Euro 2012 final, and long-term national youth teams coordinator Maurizio Viscidi.
Viscidi is the key. He led the Under 19s and Under 17s to the European title in 2023 and 2024 respectively and has had several other near-misses with Italy’s youth sides. He speaks sense, urging youth coaches at clubs to stop acting like they are running the first team.
‘I’ll put the emphasis on the technical aspect,’ he explains, saying a technical manual will be distributed to coaches across the country. ‘It’s about showing coaches that if they can improve each individual, the team will improve as a consequence.
‘We need to go back to working with the ball. Too often training sessions are done without it. We have to look at control, dribbling, finding space. Stop thinking about results alone.’
Goalkeeper Massimo Pessina celebrates winning the Under 17s Euros in 2024 – he has a grand total of one senior appearance for his club, Bologna, since then
Gattuso (bottom left) will be helped by two more of the team that started the 2006 World Cup final – Simone Perrotta (bottom right) and Gianluca Zambrotta (bottom row, second right)
Sadly, few are holding their breath. What use are such good intentions if the clubs do not allow Gattuso his pre-play-off training camp? All the manuals in the world are irrelevant if only a 63-year-old journeyman coach can work out what to do with Andrea Pirlo.
So here we are. The four-time world champions, plodding along beside Wales, Northern Ireland and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
People will still be surprised if Italy blow it again. But really, they shouldn’t be. And if it happens, everyone must take their share of the blame. The problem is that few will, and the whole sorry cycle will begin again.
