Following their non-qualification to the 2026 World Cup, Italy have come under fire, as they have now failed to qualify for three consecutive tournaments. In light of this, the Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) is preparing for a “restructuring,” seeking to realign the project. Reflecting on this failure, former USMNT coach Jürgen Klinsmann explained the reason for the poor results, citing Lamine Yamal and Jamal Musiala.
“They are paying the price for a lack of leaders, players with solid technique, and trust in young talent. In Italy, Lamine Yamal and Musiala would probably be playing in Serie B to gain experience. And that simply cannot be… Tactical culture is also an obstacle. Many coaches, even today, operate with the aim of not losing rather than wanting to win at all costs. And these are the results,” Klinsmann said, via RAI.
Far from being a criticism of Lamine or Musiala, Jürgen Klinsmann points to the lack of development of young players, as few Italian coaches give them real prominence on the pitch. Because of this, they continue to lack ‘difference-making’ talent as in previous eras, losing a great deal of potential in players like Pietro Comuzzo, Giorgio Scalvini, and Michael Olabode Kayode that remain absent in the national team.
Klinsmann experienced the ‘prime’ of Italian soccer firsthand. After shining at VfB Stuttgart, the German was transferred to Inter Milan in 1989, where he went on to play 123 matches. There, he scored 40 goals and won the 1990–91 UEFA Cup. Because of this, Jürgen has lived through that golden era firsthand, pointing to the lack of a solid structure at the youth level as a main cause behind the national team’s performance.
2014 Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann of the United States.
Osasuna’s Alessio Lisci joins Klinsmann on Italy youth criticism
While Jürgen Klinsmann decided to deliver a harsh critique on Italy’s work, CD Osasuna coach Alessio Lisci has joined the strong criticism of the Azzurri. Pointing to the handling of young talent and the lack of structure for player development, the coach delivered a harsh assessment of the national team. Moreover, he highlighted the tactical system as a main cause behind this historic failure.
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“…It’s evident that the Italian league has a high level, but among the top-5, it’s the one with the most foreigners. The youth academies also have lots of foreigners, especially the top ones…There are no reserve teams, which is another problem. Then the playing system that most teams use is 3-5-2, and this has led to wingers not existing and there being no players who can do one-on-one,” Lisci said, via Diario AS.
If they truly want to definitively solve their problems, the FIGC may begin to implement radical changes at the youth level across all its teams, seeking to prioritize domestic talent over the arrival of foreign players. Additionally, they could adopt a system similar to Germany’s, in which all youth teams maintain a consistent style of play, ensuring an easier adaptation when players join the national team.
