At youth level, Italy is one of the national teams to beat; in the last twelve months, the Azzurrini have won the Under-17 and Under-19 European Championships and lost the final of the Under-20 World Cup. But the senior national team disappointed badly at Euro 2024.
As has been happening for about ten years, except for a brief and brilliant interruption in 2021, we have returned to talking about the ills of Italian football. And we are wondering why theItalia he has such a hard time producing champions like he used to. The solution has not been found at the moment. But there are some elements of discussion and we can try to understand why Italy is no longer among the great powers of world football despite having been at the highest levels at youth level for several seasons. Therefore, it is legitimate to ask why young Italian footballers get lost in the transition between their youth and professional careers. What is the mistake that is made with these young footballers, who shine and reap successes with the national youth teams, who then when they rise to the level can’t they confirm themselves when they play with the big guys?
Italy did win the 2021 European Championships, but did not play in the last two World Cups and was badly beaten by Switzerland in the round of 16 of Euro 2024. The balance sheet is meager, very meager in recent years, unlike that of the youth national teams that are sailing along. If we just narrow the circle to the last twelve months we find two continental triumphs – the victories of the Under 17 European Championships (2024) and Under 19 (2023) – and the final of the Under 20 World Cup (2023). No one like Italy. But these guys, however, when the time comes for the big leap, are unable to confirm themselves. The transition to a professional career is complicated, but why? Is there no belief in talented guys? Why don’t clubs focus on them?
Camarda won with the Under and will play with Milan Futuro
The last winning national team is Favo’s Under 17 team, which won the European Championship by beating Portugal 3-0. It should be taken as a model for the result, but it still has very young players who will take the first step towards becoming a champion next season. professionalism, and will play partly in the Primavera. The best known is Camardawho has already made his debut with Milan in Serie A (at less than 16 years old!). Christmases he has just moved from Barcelona to Bayer Leverkusen, and he is talked about very well as well as for Liberals who plays for Milan and despite his 17 years of age has already played in the Primavera. Both he and Camarda will be able to play with the Rossoneri Under 23 team next season and therefore in Serie C. The other striker will also Mosconi he played in the Primavera with Inter.
Camarda phenomenon, named best player of the Under 17 European Championship: Milan won’t give up on him
Only Kayode was a starter among the Under-19 champions
However, if we look at what happened in the last year to the boys who won the Under 19 European Championship last July, some questions must be asked. Of the starting eleven, the only one who had space in Serie A was Kayode to Fiorentina. Missori and Lipani found little space against Sassuolo. Luis Hasa he received a couple of call-ups with the big Juve, but played with the Under 23 team in Serie C (32 appearances, 2 goals and 6 assists). The goalkeeper Mastrantonio he played in Serie C with Monterosi and Pro Vercelli.
Kayode decided the final of the Under 19 European Championship and was often a starter in 23/24 with Fiorentina.
Tiring instead he was sold in the summer by Roma to Lecce, who in January sent him on loan to Ternana (on loan). While one of the cousins Of the valley continued to play with the Juventus Primavera. The situation is different for N’Dourwho didn’t find space at PSG and moved to Braga, and Koleoshowho played 15 Premier League games with Burnley.
Baldanzi, Casadei and Prati are the only Under 20 players to play continuously
A more depressing situation if you look at the players who played in the Under 20 World Cup in June 2023, who are the older ones and who therefore have, on paper, a better chance of playing. The Italians lost the final 1-0 to Uruguay. That team had two stars: Baldanzi, already well-known and established player who moved to Roma in January, and Casadeiwho split his time between Leicester and Chelsea. Infinity he ended up in Switzerland, after a handful of appearances with Udinese.
Prati was a protagonist with the Under 20s and played 25 games with Cagliari in the last Serie A championship.
The only one to have had a high level of continuity was Wash, who played 25 games at Cagliari with a master like Claudio Ranieri, used to launching young players. The central one Ghilardi he was a regular starter at Sampdoria, in Serie B, while Ambrosino he was on the pitch 28 times with Catanzaro, in B, the other attacker Montevago was divided between Gubbio and Entella in Serie C.
Zanotti he spent a year on loan in Switzerland, at San Gallo, while the goalkeeper Planks he only played twice with Palermo, Turkey he played with Juve Under 23 in C and Slightly he had the urge to score goals in the Europa League but found the pitch with the big boys only a few times.
Why Italian footballers struggle to prove themselves as ‘big boys’
So, summing up, we understand how complex the matter is. But there are some foundations. Because it is wrong to say that Italy does not have young talents, because it does, as demonstrated by the results at youth level. The problem is the next step, the last one, between the teenager phase, the Primavera player phase, and the grown-up phase. There, the transition is difficult. The last step is missing, there is no growth. The errors, globally, are many. There is certainly a lack of courage in launching young players, as they do in other championships (Liga and Premier League). And there is the desire to play it safe by focusing on foreign players rather than choosing a young player to launch, and continue to train.
Then obviously there is a cultural problem, because in Italy it has always been slow to launch children, who are considered such even at 23 years of age. While at the European Championships the almost 17-year-old’s stars shine Yamal and two boys from 2003 She had to already a regular for Germany for three years, and Jude Bellinghamone of the best in the world. And here, in the transition between the Primavera and the first team, we need to understand how not to lose a wealth of players who come through the youth ranks well but who are then unable to confirm themselves among the greats.
