It has often been stated that one of the main problems England face is that the Premier League is populated by so many foreign players that this hinders the progress of England’s top stars and in particular the youngsters, in the Premier League. But that same argument could equally be given for Italian football’s current lack of talented superstars.
The Azzuri have failed to impress lately. The 2010 World Cup finals were hardly impressive for the Azzuri, with an equilizer in Ireland the only element that pushed them into the finals. Italy’s disappointment only grew in the finals, where their first two games against Paraguay and New Zealand were supremely lackluster.
For all their renowned defensive abilities, the Italians looked lacking in imagination in attack. Italy felt a loss of Pirlo’s unmistakable guile, Totti’s technique, and Toni’s form, and will moreover struggle to find stars to put in the Italy soccer apparel. Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan were the Serie A and Coppa Italia winners of 2010 before they went on to lift the European Champions League with a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in Madrid. Disappointingly, Inter failed to contribute any players to the World Cup Squad for Italy. For most of the season, Inter’s first team barely contained an Italian player. Even though Mario Balotelli and Davide Santon made a lasting impression on the team, they were mainly used in substitutions and both players missed out on being called to the final squad in South Africa.
A quick scout through the Serie A giants reveals a worrying trend. AC Milan have more Italians in their first team squad, but the vast majority are approaching or beyond 30 years of age. Juventus boasts a few Italian players, including Chiellni, Giovinco and De Ceglie, who all back up the magnificent Marchisio in the midfield. A large amount of Juventus Italian nationals, and especially those that are first team caliber, are all above thirty.
In recent times, players on the Italian national team are less likely to come from the top few teams in Serie A, and players are instead being chosen from the groups which rank just below this group. The 2010 World Cup Italian squad has a total of six players from Juventus, with two coming from Milan, and one from Roma. However, the team also has 3 players from Napoli, another 2 from Sampadoria, 2 from Genoa, two from Fiorentina, and one apiece from Udinese, Cagliari, Bari, and Al Ahli of the UAE.
The tendency against national players is one that is unlikely to stop soon, which may become a torment to the Italian FA as well as future Azzuri team managers. A great many Italian players are declining participation in the Champions League each season, a fact that hurts Italian players’ performance against the competition.
Italy’s future is not totally dismal, with such players like Salvatore Bocchetti, Leonardo Bonucci, Domenico Criscito, and Giampaolo Pazzini rising through the order, however, these players will be receiving an education in soccer from places like Lazio, Palermo, Bari, and Cagliari rather than Nou Camp, Old Trafford, Allianz Arena, or Bernebeu.
It is a worrying trend for the Italian national side and one that needs to be addressed. Can the heroes of a country really be considered heroes if they don’t have their hearts in a national cause?
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