Italian football has hit a historic low point this season, with clubs and the national team both struggling to make an impact on the European stage. In continental competitions, no Serie A side progressed beyond the quarter‑finals, and Atalanta stood alone as the only Italian club to reach the Champions League round of 16.
The domestic disappointment, however, pales in comparison with the national team's crisis. For the first time in three consecutive World Cup cycles, Italy failed to qualify for the tournament. This is a staggering fall from grace for a nation that has lifted the World Cup trophy four times. The first two missed qualifications were somewhat softened by the euphoric Euro 2020 victory on home soil, which gave fans a brief resurgence of hope.
The third failure, however, proved to be the final straw. Italy's absence from the expanded 48‑team World Cup prompted a cascade of resignations: head coach Gennaro Gattuso stepped down, the Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina quit his post, and legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon relinquished his role as team delegate. "It’s a painful subject for me because missing three World Cups in a row is unacceptable, and Italy simply doesn’t deserve this," Italy captain Gianluigi Donnarumma told Sky Sports. "We have to work.
The only way forward is to work. With the change of coach and the return of Mr.
Mancini, our goal is to rebuild and bring Italy back to where it belongs." The appointment of Roberto Mancini marks a full‑circle moment for the Azzurri. Mancini, who guided Italy to the Euro 2020 triumph, is back at the helm with a clear mandate: restore the national side to its traditional place among the world’s elite. Donnarumma echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the emotional weight of World Cup participation for both players and supporters.
"We feel a huge responsibility because history tells us Italy should always be there. We must bring Italy back to where it belongs," he added. While the ambition is clear, the reality is that Italy has been drifting away from top‑level performance for several years.
The 2006 World Cup win, secured by a dramatic penalty shoot‑out against France, remains the last time Italy reached the knockout stage of the tournament. Since then, the Azzurri have recorded only one World Cup victory—a 2‑1 win over England at the 2014 edition in Brazil. The 2012 European Championship run, which saw Italy finish as runners‑up, was a fleeting glimpse of former glory, but the nation has struggled to replicate that form ever since.
Several factors explain the decline. First, the talent pipeline that once produced world‑class defenders and midfielders has thinned.
The 2006 squad featured icons such as Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Del Piero. By 2012, the remnants of that generation were still present in the form of Gianluigi Buffon, Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Pirlo. Yet the retirement of stalwarts like Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci has left a void that younger players have not yet filled. Data from the CIES Football Observatory underscores the issue.
Between 2020 and 2025, Italy exported only 413 footballers abroad, ranking 24th globally—behind nations such as the United States, Japan and Russia. In contrast, the other four major European leagues (England, Spain, Germany and France) each produced well over a thousand exported players during the same period. Italian talent, whether seasoned veterans or promising youngsters, simply isn’t as sought after by Europe’s elite clubs.
The scarcity of high‑quality home‑grown players is evident in the national team’s age profile. From June 2025 to February 2026, just one capped player under the age of 24—Inter’s forward Pio Esposito—featured for Italy, whereas England fielded a dozen youngsters in the same timeframe. Moreover, in 2025 Serie A allocated a mere 1.9 percent of total playing minutes to players under 21, the second‑lowest figure among the top 50 leagues worldwide, trailing only the United Arab Emirates Pro League.
Serie A’s own struggles have compounded the problem. While clubs have made headline‑grabbing signings such as Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modrić and Jamie Vardy, the league has suffered from a lack of creative vision at the managerial level. Coaches like Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri, Gattuso, Luciano Spalletti and Maurizio Sarri have rotated among the top Italian clubs with limited tactical innovation. Even this summer saw Sarri move to Atalanta and Allegri to Juventus, reinforcing a pattern of domestic recycling rather than fresh ideas.
Nevertheless, there are encouraging signs that a shift may be underway. Cesc Fàbregas’ work at Como, which helped the club secure a Champions League berth, demonstrates how outside tactical concepts can rejuvenate Italian football.
Similarly, Ruben Amorim’s recent stint at AC Milan produced an exciting brand of play that captured the imagination of fans and pundits alike. Mancini’s first squad selection for his second spell reflects a deliberate emphasis on youth.
The 34‑player roster featured nine uncapped players and eleven individuals under the age of 23. Among them are Dortmund’s 18‑year‑old striker Samuele Inácio, Crystal Palace defender Honest Ahanor—soon to join Chelsea—and Brentford’s Michael Kayode, all representing a new wave of Italian talent. Inter’s rising star Pio Esposito, who has already netted five goals in nine appearances for the national side, joins the ranks of promising forwards like FC Nürnberg’s Ali Zoma, who boasts 20 goals in 36 games in Germany’s second division, and Sporting CP’s midfielder Issa Doumbia. These players, alongside Inácio, signal that a generation of technically gifted, ambitious Italians is emerging.
Donnarumma highlighted the blend of experience and youth, saying, "There will be established players, we’re getting older but we’re still young, and there will also be very young players joining the team. It will be a mixture, and we need to help these young players integrate well. They can give us a great deal of help." Looking ahead, Italy faces a daunting Nations League group that includes Belgium, Turkey and France—an arena that will test any rebuilding effort. Yet history suggests that a single spark can reignite a dormant footballing culture.
The hope is that Mancini’s tactical acumen, combined with the infusion of youthful energy, will provide that catalyst. Fans can follow the ongoing analysis of Italy’s challenges and Mancini’s second tenure on "The World Football Show" this Thursday at 2 pm on Sky Sports News, where experts will dissect the Azzurri’s path back to prominence and examine how the new generation can fulfill the nation’s storied football legacy.