Free fall of Azzurri

Bengaluru: When Italy won the Euro 2020 — held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic — it seemed like the dawn of a new era. After lifting the coveted FIFA World Cup for a fourth time in 2006 in Germany, the Azzurri had crashed out in the group stage of the showpiece event in 2010 and 2014 respectively before hitting a new low when they failed to qualify for the 2018 edition in Russia. 

One of the heavyweights of world football who turned disciplined defending into an art form called Catenaccio, much like the revered attacking styles such as Total Football or Joga Bonito, were slowly losing their elite status. The penalty shootout win against England at Wembley following a rip-roaring campaign where they won admirers for their high-octane football — something that took everyone by surprise as Italians and high-pressing game were largely considered mutually exclusive — was supposed to be the beginning of a fresh era under Roberto Mancini. 

Italy, under Mancini, the one who masterminded the stunning ascension of Manchester City in landing them their first Premier League title in 44 years in the 2011-12 season, showed they were willing to shed their image of old and embrace modernity, and move forward like fellow European powerhouses France, Germany, Spain and England. Cut to the present and 2021 appears nothing less than a mirage with Italy yet again stuck in the sand and struggling to keep the wheels in motion.

Like a year later, after the Euro triumph when they failed to qualify for the World Cup for a second straight time, Italy stand on the precipice of another disaster as they missed out on a direct berth to the bash in the Americas next year. Italy, like in 2018 and 2022, will have to win two playoffs scheduled next March to confirm their spot. 

First up for the Azzurri are Northern Ireland, a clash they are expected to boss considering their rivals have beaten them just once in 11 head-to-head meetings with the last one coming way back in 1958. It’s the next match which is a potential banana skin. Mostly likely Italy will face tenacious Wales, provided the latter don’t suffer an upset against minnows Bosnia-Herzegovina. A little less than five months is left for current coach Gennaro Gattuso to bury the ghosts of the past but the harsh reality is many are worried it could be another nightmare that could spell the death knell for Italian football.

So how did such a mighty nation, whose four World Cups are second only to Brazil’s record five and joint second with Germany, plunge to mediocrity? Well, it’s a whole bunch of them. From Serie A, once famed for attracting the best of footballers including the great Diego Maradona at the peak of his powers, losing relevance to rival leagues such as EPL, La Liga and Bundesliga to apathetic administration to aging infrastructure that have not received an upgrade for decades to coaches lacking tactical nous to financial stagnation… have all formed a vicious cocktail that’s left Italian football on life-support system.

It’s a no-brainer that domestic leagues are the lifeblood of talent production. The higher the quality of league, better the talent on display. Sadly, because of several financial scandals and lack of leadership at club levels, Serie A has dropped the pecking order in Europe, and its no longer as competitive as it used to be, like in the 1990s and 2000s, or even the first decade of this century. Domestic players, both young and experienced, once used to rubbing shoulders with the best in the world, now get to taste that only during Champions League with hardly any superstar player engaged in Serie A. Most ply their trade in EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga and even Ligue 1, reducing Serie A to an afterthought.

Once the quality of the league goes down, it starts to have a cascading effect on the supply chain, which has taken a hit in Italy. A country that always boasted of having a bunch of inspirational players in every squad is today struggling to field even one genuine leader. This is in complete contrast to Spain, England, Germany or Portugal who are loaded with stars in the playing XI with regular starters for clubs sometimes warming the benches. Apart from having leaders in the dressing room, Italy is also lacking a genuine world-class striker. France have Kylian Mbappe, England have Harry Kane, Spain are gifted with two young attacking wingers-cum-goalscorers in Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, Germany possesses Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala and Norway is blessed with the insatiable Erling Haaland. Truth be told, as other European big dogs battle surplus, Italians are fighting with a shortage.  

Another important facet is Italy’s lack of evolution. Football, which was rhythmic once upon a time, is generally fast and furious now. Teams love to press high and fast, there’s greater emphasis on quick interchanges of balls, speed along the flanks is an absolute must and players are expected to cover more areas on the pitch. All this requires the proper fusion of coaching, nutrition and sport science. And it all starts at age-group then at the club-level so that when players migrate to the national, they are ready-made. That’s not the case with Italian football as many coaches at the top as well as the second level are still old-school, owning to multiple factors. This inhibits national coaches from employing modern tactics, and Italians have been found wanting on multiple occasions, like in the two qualifying losses to Norway.

Administrators also have to cop a lot of flak for failing to show intent in bringing about a change. Rights for Premier League and La Liga have sold for billions of dollars but Serie A is not able to command the same. So clubs are left with lot less in the bank which means they have no choice but to let go of top talents. Plus, many of the iconic stadiums in Italy have aged badly with barely any attempts at renovation because of the huge amount of bureaucracy involved. Compare this with England or Spain which have multiple start-of-the-art venues that gives youth the best of facilities right from the moment they are cutting their teeth.

Four months is an extremely short time to bring about wholesome changes. Italy can still qualify for the World Cup if they can ace those two qualifiers. But if they want their seat back amongst the elite, plenty of rebuilding has to be done, starting now.