Jurgen Klinsmann has delivered a stinging verdict on Italian football’s crisis, drawing on his deep personal connection to the country to make one of the most pointed observations yet about why the Azzurri keep failing to qualify for the World Cup.
The former Germany manager and World Cup winner, who played for both Inter and Sampdoria during his career and whose son currently plays for Cesena, told the Corriere dello Sport that the penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia left him sleepless and deeply saddened. “I suffered enormously with my Italian friends in Los Angeles,” he said.
“The night after I struggled to sleep.”
His diagnosis of the underlying problems, however, was blunt and unsparing.
“Italy is paying for a lack of leaders, a lack of players who take on opponents in one-on-one situations, and a lack of trust in young players,” Klinsmann said.
Klinsmann: ‘In Italy, they’d send Yamal and Musiala to Serie B to gain experience’
He then offered a comparison that cuts to the heart of Italian football’s conservatism.
“In Italy, Yamal and Musiala would probably be sent to Serie B to gain experience.”
It is a damning hypothetical but one that resonates powerfully given the ongoing debate about how few young Italians receive meaningful first-team opportunities.
Klinsmann also pointed to a deeply ingrained tactical mentality as a root cause of Italy’s decline. “Many coaches still work with the objective of not losing rather than winning at all costs,” he said. “And these are the results.”
Coming from a man who experienced Italian football firsthand and retains genuine affection for the country, the words carry particular weight, and add an authoritative international perspective to a debate that has, until now, been largely conducted within Italy’s own borders.
