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Italian football has suffered for several years, with the national team failing to qualify for the World Cup since 2014. Italy won Euro 2020 in 2021, but that success was followed by failure to reach the 2022 World Cup.
Four years later, Italy also missed the 2026 World Cup. As a result, an entire generation of players has represented the national team without appearing at the tournament.
Two decades ago, Italy were world champions and had some of the finest players in the game. Twenty years later, the Azzurri have been unable to qualify for the competition, representing a remarkable fall from grace.
The situation is similar to that of Juventus, who have not won the Serie A title since 2020. The Bianconeri had won nine consecutive league titles by then, but they have been unable to regain the Scudetto and have also gone 30 years without winning the Champions League.
Ferrara identifies Italian football problem
Ciro Ferrara has spoken about the difficulties facing Italian football and believes Italy’s problems are closely connected to Juventus’s struggles. He argues that clubs must develop a stronger core of domestic players.
Speaking via Tuttomercatoweb, Ferrara said:
“We’re struggling, we see it in the national team and in European competitions. One important thing was said today: foreign footballers are fine, but it takes a hard core of Italians to make a difference. This applies to all societies, both those fighting to avoid relegation and those fighting for the top spot. The path, however, is very long.”
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Juventus shares the problem
Ferrara believes the issue affects every club, regardless of its position in the league. Teams fighting relegation and those competing at the top both need a reliable group of Italian players to provide identity and quality.
Juventus has also been affected by the wider decline of Italian football. The club has invested in foreign players, but Ferrara believes that relying on them alone cannot solve the problems facing the Bianconeri or the national team.
On Juventus, he added: “Juve is also part of a general problem from this point of view, there is nothing different.”
The comments underline the scale of the challenge facing Italian football. Rebuilding the national team and restoring Juventus to former levels of success will require patience, stronger youth development and a long-term commitment to Italian talent.