Where is Italian football headed?

After missing out on the World Cup for the third consecutive time, the entire Italian football system, from the president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) Gabriele Gravina, team manager Gianluigi Buffon, and head coach Gennaro Gattuso, all resigned.

Italian football faces serious questions about its future - Photo: AFP

Now the question is: "Where does the future of Italian football lie? Will there be a radical reform or will it continue to sink into disappointment?"

These "children" are not allowed to be creative.

Since that magical night at the 2006 World Cup in Berlin, Italian football has been mired in a two-decade-long "delirium." What were once considered accidents in 2018 against Sweden, or the nightmare of 2022 against North Macedonia, have now become a harsh reality.

Former football legend Alessandro Del Piero bitterly exclaimed, "We are no longer what we thought we were." One of the core reasons for the Azzurri's decline lies in their youth training system – which was once a "factory" producing geniuses.

According to Del Piero, young players are too constrained by rigid tactical schemes and instructions. They become machines that follow orders instead of the artists they once were. When they step outside the familiar system, they immediately reveal their awkwardness and are discarded.

This explains why Serie A currently has up to 70% foreign players. Teams, under pressure for immediate results, would rather choose a mid-level foreign player than risk a domestic talent who hasn't yet proven themselves. Furthermore, the gap between youth teams and the national team is widening.

Although the FIGC has made efforts to introduce financial incentives for clubs using Italian players under 23, this is only addressing the symptoms. Without a revolution in coaching philosophy – one that prioritizes instinct and breakthroughs rather than just defensive discipline – Italian football will continue to produce generations of mediocre players lacking the composure needed in crucial moments like the recent play-off match.

The Euro 2020 champions have failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals for three consecutive tournaments.

From outdated infrastructure to a "clinging to power" mentality.

The crisis in Italian football lies at the top level. Old, dilapidated stadiums not only diminish the fan experience but also stifle club revenue.

While the English Premier League and La Liga have advanced significantly with modern stadiums, Italian football remains mired in a labyrinth of bureaucracy and government inefficiency. Without good infrastructure, television rights value plummets. This leads to teams lacking the financial resources to retain or recruit top stars.

More seriously, it's the ailment that Del Piero pointed out: "We only think about protecting our own positions." For years, those running Italian football chose to blame individuals instead of looking at the rottenness of the system.

From Ventura to Mancini, from Spalletti to Gattuso, the comings and goings of coaches demonstrate a management structure lacking long-term vision. The simultaneous departures of Gravina, Buffon, and Gattuso can be seen as a courageous act, but also as an admission that the Azzurri ship has completely lost its direction.

To make a comeback, Italian football needs more than a new president or a brilliant strategist. They need a transparent financial roadmap where revenue is directly reinvested in stadiums and youth academies. The Italian national team needs to learn from the German model after 2000 or the French model after 2010: tearing down and rebuilding from the ground up, accepting the pain in exchange for sustainability.

The conclusion to a new journey.

In September 2026, Italy will enter the Nations League against formidable opponents such as France and Belgium. This will be the beginning of a new era, perhaps with a younger coach or a more modern-minded manager. However, the most important thing right now is not victories in the Nations League or Euro qualifiers, but humility and a willingness to learn.

Italy needs to cast aside the glory of the past, shed its "big name," and start from scratch. As La Stampa commented: "Italian football is a sad story with no happy ending. But it carries a message that if things don't change, everything will collapse completely."

It's time for Italians to stop looking in the mirror and admiring their past beauty, and instead look out the window to see how far the world of football has left them behind."

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THANH DINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bong-da-y-se-ve-dau-20260405101027538.htm