Inter CEO Beppe Marotta, speaking at the launch of Vito Cozzoli`s book “The social and industrial soul of sport”, addressed various issues facing Italian football. A key point of discussion was the difficult period currently experienced by the Italian national team. Following a significant defeat to Norway last Friday, their qualification path for the 2026 World Cup has become considerably more challenging.
Marotta suggested that the current decline is linked to multiple factors. He pointed to a probable decrease in the recruitment base and changes in coaching approaches, noting that today`s youth coaches seem more focused on achieving results than on developing young players. He also highlighted a lack of proper infrastructure, mentioning that even community sports centers now charge fees. Marotta expressed concern about the absence of federal centers serving as crucial hubs where top talents from major clubs like Inter, Milan, Juventus, and Atalanta could train together, similar to the model seen in tennis.
While acknowledging that Italy possesses skilled players and coaches, Marotta speculated that the issue might stem more from a lack of motivation than technical ability. Reflecting on the national team`s disappointing performance against Norway, he posed a rhetorical question:
“Why did Italy make such a bad impression? I was asking myself, perhaps it was almost worse compared to what we did.”
These undeniably strong comments are likely to spark debate. They come at a time when Luciano Spalletti is reportedly preparing to coach the Italian national team for the final time, and the football federation president Gabriele Gravina is expected to announce his replacement. As a leading figure in Italian football, Marotta`s remarks will not go unnoticed, especially following recent criticisms of Gravina by Lazio president Claudio Lotito.
