Fabio Capello believes that Serie A has a problem when it comes to both the quality of Italian and foreign players.
One of the constant subjects of debate with regards to Italian football is the struggles for homegrown players to establish and prove themselves. Barring Inter, few of the top teams can call upon a core of Azzurri players, which many believe has led to the struggles that the national team have endured.
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Milan have been an example of this in recent years. For instance, during the recent Derby della Madonnina clash, Massimiliano Allegri fielded a starting XI with no Italians in it, though granted that is largely because Davide Bartesaghi and Matteo Gabbia were both suffering physical issues.
Capello gave an interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via MilanPress) to talk about the Italian national team and Serie A, highlighting a couple of issues that he perceives.
“The connection is there, and it starts with the value of foreign players. In my day, when I played, I always studied Luis Suarez, the best of them all, as well as Bulgarelli, who was a few years older than me. They were role models. They were masters,” he said.
“When I was a coach, we had the best in the world in Italy. Today, we have Modric, Rabiot and a few others. And we sell the good ones, whereas once upon a time, at least until 2010, they all came here because we were a benchmark. Without that example, our players can’t improve. But that’s not the only problem.
“The absolute shortage of Italian players in Serie A. Foreigners occupy those spots, even if they’re modest. Do we really think they’re all superior to ours? Of course, if we were to fail at the third World Cup, I’d have no doubts: it means all our youth football policies have been flawed.”
That is the major problem in the Italian national team, and it’s very bad