The Fall of Italian football

Italy’s 2006 World Cup victory marked the end of its footballing dominance, as the Calciopoli scandal that same year led to Juventus’s demotion and weakened Serie A financially and competitively. Despite AC Milan and Inter’s Champions League wins in 2007 and 2010, Serie A has since struggled in European competitions, losing top talent to the wealthier English Premier League. Infrastructure issues and outdated tactics have further hindered progress, along with a decline in youth development. Resistance to modernization persists, and while Italy won Euro 2020, it has performed poorly in World Cups, failing to qualify in 2018 and 2022, highlighting a significant fall from grace.