Italian football has hit a historic low point this season. In European competitions, no Italian side progressed beyond the quarter‑finals, and Atalanta stood alone as the only Serie A club to make the Champions League round of 16. Yet the domestic league’s struggles pale in comparison with the national team’s recent woes.
For the first time in three consecutive World Cup cycles, Italy failed to qualify for the tournament—a shocking outcome for a nation that has lifted the trophy four times. The first two failures were softened by the euphoria of winning Euro 2020 at Wembley, a triumph that briefly restored belief. The latest miss, however, proved a breaking point. The 48‑team World Cup did not feature Italy, prompting the resignation of head coach Gennaro Gattuso, Italian FA president Gabriele Gravina, and even veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who had been serving as the team's delegation head.
"It’s a painful subject for me because missing three World Cups in a row is unacceptable, and Italy simply does not deserve this," Italy captain Gianluigi Donnarumma told Sky Sports. "We have to work. The only way forward is to work," he added, noting the arrival of former Euro‑2020 winning manager Roberto Mancini as the new head coach. "There is now a change of coach, the return of Mr Mancini – and the objective is to work and try to take Italy back to where it belongs." Donnarumma continued, "I know it isn’t easy for the fans, but especially for us, because we understand how much it means to play in a competition like the World Cup.
We will give everything to bring Italy back to its rightful place. History teaches us that Italy should always be there, so we must restore that legacy." Indeed, Italy’s place among football’s elite is undeniable, but the Azzurri have been far from that level for years. The recent World Cup debacle is merely the latest chapter in a long‑running decline that began after the 2006 triumph. Two decades later, that penalty‑shootout victory over France remains Italy’s last appearance in a World Cup knockout round, and the team has won just a single World Cup match since – a 2‑1 win over England in Brazil 2014.
The 2012 European Championship run, which saw Italy reach the final, was a bright spot, yet the nation has not recaptured that form. Several factors explain the downturn. The golden generation of 2006 – featuring Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Del Piero – has long retired.
By 2012, the remnants of that era were limited to Gianluigi Buffon, Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Pirlo. Since the departures of stalwarts Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, the pipeline of top‑quality Italian talent has thinned dramatically. Data from the CIES Football Observatory underscores the problem: between 2020 and 2025 Italy produced only 413 football exports, ranking 24th globally and trailing nations such as the United States, Japan and Russia. By contrast, each of the other four major European leagues exported well over 1,000 players in the same period.
Italian players, whether young prospects or seasoned veterans, are simply less sought after by Europe’s elite clubs. The scarcity of home‑grown talent is evident in the national squad as well.
From June 2025 to February 2026, just one capped player under the age of 24 – Inter’s forward Pio Esposito – featured for Italy, while England fielded a dozen youngsters in the same window. Moreover, in 2025 Italian Serie A clubs allocated only 1.9 percent of total playing minutes to players under 21, the second‑lowest figure among the world’s top 50 leagues, exceeded only by the UAE Pro League.
This dearth of youth also impacted Serie A’s overall quality last season. High‑profile signings such as Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modrić and Jamie Vardy arrived, yet the league suffered from a lack of creative direction.
Managers rotated among the same elite clubs – Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri, Gattuso, Luciano Spalletti and Maurizio Sarri – without injecting fresh tactical ideas. Even this summer’s moves, with Sarri heading to Atalanta and Allegri to Juventus, illustrate a closed loop. Occasionally, outside influence sparks change.
Cesc Fàbregas’s appointment at Como led to a remarkable Champions League qualification, demonstrating how novel concepts can break the monotony. Similarly, Ruben Amorim’s stint at AC Milan produced eye‑catching football, suggesting that innovative coaching can revive Italian clubs. Signs of optimism are emerging under Mancini’s second tenure.
His initial squad featured several promising newcomers: a 34‑player list included nine uncapped athletes and eleven players under 23. Among them are Borussia Dortmund’s 18‑year‑old striker Samuele Inácio, Crystal Palace defender Honest Ahanor (soon to join Chelsea), and Brentford’s Michael Kayode – all part of a burgeoning "young revolution." Inter’s forward Pio Esposito, who has already netted five goals in nine appearances, joins the mix, alongside FC Nürnberg’s Ali Zoma, who boasts 20 goals in 36 matches in Germany’s second division, and Sporting CP midfielder Issa Doumbia, a key figure this season. This infusion of youthful energy signals a new generation of Italian talent ready to make an impact. "There will certainly be some established players.
We’re getting older, but we’re still young, and there will also be some very young players joining the team," Donnarumma explained. "It will be a mixture, and we need to help these young players integrate well. They can give us a great deal of help.
They’re certainly talented players who need to play and gain experience, but I’m sure Italy will return to where it belongs." Italy now faces a challenging Nations League group, contending with Belgium, Turkey and France in Group A. While the competition is fierce, a nation that has lingered in obscurity for so long needs only one spark to reignite its fortunes.
For a deeper look at Italy’s current predicament and a preview of Mancini’s renewed mission, tune in to The World Football Show this Thursday on Sky Sports News at 2 p.m. The analysis will explore the Azzurri’s hurdles, the potential of the new crop of players, and the tactical adjustments Mancini may employ to restore Italy to its historic stature.