Italian football faces identity crisis as European exits follow World Cup woe

April 17 : Italian football is at its lowest ebb in nearly 40 years after a wholesale European exodus at club level followed the nation's failure for the third successive time to qualify for the World Cup and compounded a leadership and structural crisis.

The exits suffered by Bologna and Fiorentina on Thursday in the Europa League and Conference League respectively meant no Italian teams are left in European competition this season.

Italy's last remaining Champions League contenders Atalanta went out in the round of 16 last month.

It is the first time since the 1986-87 campaign that Italian clubs have been shut out of the European semi-finals across the board in a season with three major continental competitions.

The club-level wipeout has compounded a mounting emergency in a country where football is a national passion.

Inter Milan made the 2025 Champions League final, where they were thrashed by Paris St-Germain, and Atalanta won the Europa League in 2024 but Italy have now stalled on several fronts.

Coupled with the national team's continued World Cup exile, Italian football has been plunged into an identity crisis as the country wraps up its 'annus horribilis' season.

SYSTEMIC RESET

Italy suffered a collective shock in March after a 4-1 penalty shootout defeat by Bosnia and Herzegovina in their World Cup qualifying playoff final following a 1-1 draw after extra time led to the departure of coach Gennaro Gattuso.

The resignation of Italian Football Federation President Gabriele Gravina followed in the fallout and he admitted that the foundations of the domestic game had crumbled.

"The crisis is deep, Italian football needs to be redesigned," said Gravina - a warning now being amplified by several Italian coaches.

Fabio Capello