Italian Football faces a difficult future if recent figures regarding youth team developed players are to be believed.
In the wake of England’s exit from this summer’s world cup, numerous answers were posed by pundits as to why things had gone so horribly wrong from Capello’s men.
Whilst some pointed to fitness issues, a loss of form on the big stage or simply an unfortunate refereeing decision, the overriding sense was that the 4 – 1 defeat to Germany had given them an altogether different lesson.
Simply put: that the English Premier League had become an environment where it was increasingly difficult to nurture English talent through from youth system to starting eleven.
After all, Germany’s success had been built on a concerted effort between the country’s Bundesliga and the National FA.
Yet for all the bluster that has come from the usual guilty parties amongst the press, a look at recent statistics published demonstrate that the problem is perhaps not as bad as it had previously been trumpeted to be.
According to official data the Premier League boasts a 16.5% presence of youth team players that have been developed “in house”. In comparison, the Bundesliga offered only slightly better, with a total of 17.8%. The leading leagues of Europe in this field were Spain who boasted 21.6% and France who had an impressive 26.8% of top level players developed in house.
On paper at least, England’s dilemma appears overstated. Yet the data compiled did make for concerning reading for Italian football fans. That’s because Serie A lagged behind badly with a total of 8.1% of youth players developed in house and in the top division.
And the truth is you only have to look at the big four of Roma, Juventus and the Milan clubs to see where the problems lie.
On the whole, these teams appear to favour a combination of young foreign stars and older, wiser Italian players with the average Serie A player age last season calculated at 27.44.
But this isn’t a problem that’s new to Italy. In fact it’s a criticism that could have probably been levelled at their national game back in 2006.
However, back then they had just won the world cup. This time around though, they suffered humiliation at the hands of minnows like New Zealand and Slovakia.
More alarmingly still, the summer transfer activity would indicate that, on the whole, the comparatively named “big four” of Italy have rejected any change of focus.
At Juventus, young attacking midfielder Sebastian Giovinco, once heralded as the future of the Italian game has been sent out on loan to Parma. Instead, they have ushered in the older Fabio Quagliarella, who whilst being one of the few players to emerge from the World Cup debacle with any plaudits, is nearing the age of 30.
Whilst at Milan, Marco Borriello has been deemed so surplus to requirements, that AC are in fact happy to send him out on loan to supposed league rivals Roma.
The move seemingly demonstrates the lack of regard for another player who once held bright hopes for the future of Italy but looks set to play a bit part role in Rome. Instead Milan went for the glamour of the Brazilian Robinho along with the temperamental ‘genius’ of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
With the team already boasting Pato, Ronaldinho and Thiago Silva, alongside the ageing legends of Nesta, Pirlo and occasionally Gattuso, there appears to be little room for Italian youth.
But again this is not anything new. Foreign signings have dominated the headlines at Milan since the emergence of owner Berlusconi and the Dutch signings of Van Basten and Gullit.
And holding onto older talent is something that has become almost central to Milan with their science facilities constantly working to draw out the careers of some of the clubs true greats.
Roma too have offered little hope for the future, aside from the Borriello deal. Totti continues to be the talismanic leader of the team, having recently signed a new 5 year contract. Whilst their biggest signing was arguably the most controversial of the period, with the return of “the emperor” to the Italian league.
The comeback of a man with a history of turning his back on both his club and his contract says as much about the Brazilian’s raw talent as it does about the scarcity of alternatives for cash strapped clubs like Roma.
Then there are the champions, Inter Milan. Last year, they swept all those in front of them, claiming an unprecedented treble. However, it was a victory that was ultimately not built on Italian talent. The key players from the record breaking season were not home grown talent. In the previous year left back Davide Santon had shown promise, breaking into the first team squad before his age and inexperience off the field cost him a place in Mourinho’s team.
Most tellingly of all, the Champions league final itself, with Inter fielding a starting eleven that featured no Italian players (the only Italian to come on was Marco Materazzi late on, which tells you all you need to know!)
And this summer saw Inter sell their one shinning light for the national game, Mario Balotelli.Ultimately though, there may still be hope for the national game, but a great deal of this hope rests on the shoulders of the new national team coach Cesare Prandelli. Previous coach Marcelo Lippi had paid the price for relying on the golden oldies of 2006, and Prandelli has made a conscious effort to distance him from this approach.
A recent friendly against the Ivory Coast saw the new manager call up 8 new uncapped players. Whilst the group offered a mixed bag of age ranges, it definitely spelt out his intention to shake things up.
But with the game ending in a 1 – 0 defeat to the African side, it would appear that Prandelli has his work cut out for him.
With qualification for the European championship in 2012 a must for the new coach, he’s left with a difficult predicament.
Does he try a new team out and risk missing out on the tournament and losing his job, or does he pick players with a proven track record for the Nerazurri which could see him tarnished with the same brush that Lippi, World Cup winner four years ago, now is?
Whilst Capello may be feeling the heat in England, I doubt he would trade places with Prandelli any time soon.