Former Italy midfielder Demetrio Albertini expressed confidence in the Azzurri’s ability to qualify for the World Cup, yet he pinpointed what he believes remains Italy’s fundamental challenge: “There aren’t enough Italian players in Serie A.”
Reflecting on the state of Italian football, Albertini recalled that even the strong generation of 1998 had to go through play-offs to qualify. He stated, “In sports, it’s common to have one or two off-games; the crucial aspect is to qualify.”
He elaborated on the scarcity of talent, noting, “The problem is that we have some good players, but simply not enough.” This situation directly impacts the national team’s coach, who faces “limited selection options.” The ex-Milan midfielder, a three-time Champions League winner, further observed that some Italian players accumulate more national team appearances than matches played in major European club competitions.
Albertini asserted that this lack of exposure to high-level international club games means Italy is “less prepared for a certain type of international match,” which explains why a coach might call upon experienced players like Verratti. He affirmed, however, that despite these issues, Italy certainly possesses the quality needed to win current play-off matches.
Despite failing to qualify for the World Cups in 2018 and 2022, Italy famously won the European Championships in 2021. Albertini acknowledged this as a deserved triumph but cautioned that “it didn’t address the underlying problem: there aren’t enough Italian players in Serie A.”
He concluded by expressing his hope that the Italian Football Federation (FIGC)’s recently announced technical project for youth football will translate into “concrete actions” rather than remaining merely “empty proclamations” for the future development of Italian talent.
