Carlo Ancelotti, the current coach of the Brazilian national team, has expressed his concerns about the state of Italian football. He believes that the sport in Italy has lost a “fundamental” element – its pace – and emphasizes that football is not solely about scoring more goals than the opposition. Ancelotti also warns that Italian football “must recover defenders” as the game requires more than just offensive prowess.
In an interview with Il Giornale, Ancelotti delved into the reasons behind the Azzurri’s failure to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time and the lack of Serie A clubs in the semi-finals of European competitions this season. He pinpointed a significant gap between the intensity of Serie A and matches in the Champions League.
Ancelotti: Italy and Serie A Have “Lost Pace”
“The fundamental difference is the pace,” Ancelotti stated. He elaborated that this refers not only to physical speed but also to mental agility and sustained involvement throughout the game, an intensity that cannot be confined to specific phases. According to him, Italian football has specifically lost this crucial aspect.
“It has also lost solidity,” Ancelotti continued. He suggested that while there might be a lack of talent in other areas, an excessive focus on tactics has distorted the inherent characteristics that historically defined Italian football’s success.
The last Serie A club to win the Champions League was José Mourinho’s Inter Milan in the 2009-10 season. This season, only Atalanta reached the Round of 16 in Europe’s premier competition, with Inter and Juventus eliminated in the knockout playoffs, and Napoli failing to advance from the league phase.
Ancelotti also touched upon the dwindling appeal of Serie A to top international talent. “Great foreign players no longer come to Italy. Abroad, with substantial TV rights and powerful investors, a more attractive market is formed,” he observed. He lamented the absence of legendary players like Falcao, Maradona, Platini, Krol, Rummenigge, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho, questioning who young Italian players can learn from in such an environment.
While acknowledging Como as an exciting emerging club in Serie A, Ancelotti feels they are not making a substantial contribution to the development of Italian football. He noted a lack of Italian players in their squad.
Addressing defensive fragility, Ancelotti pointed to teams like Atalanta, whose aggressive one-on-one style, while exciting, involves significant risks, as demonstrated in their matches. He concluded by stressing the importance of regaining a defensive mentality that has historically brought success to both Italian clubs and the national team. “Either we recover defenders, or rather the defensive mentality that has brought us club and national team success, or we will continue to suffer. Football is not only about scoring more goals than your opponent, but also about conceding fewer. That’s not a trivial statement,” he asserted.