Italy’s repechage to the World Cup, Giorgio Chiellini blurts out

From memories of magical nights in the Azzurri to reflections on the future of Italian soccer. Giorgio Chiellini, now Director of Football Strategy at Juventus, also spoke at the opening panel of “Emilia-Romagna, the Sport Valley” as part of the Parma Serie A Festival.

The former national team captain addressed the issue of Italy’s failure to qualify for the upcoming World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, without hiding his bitterness for a result that weighs on the entire football movement.

“We can’t pretend nothing is wrong: staying out of three consecutive World Cups is something very difficult to accept,” Chiellini said. “I experienced the first two exclusions firsthand and they are wounds I still carry inside. Deep reflection is needed to recover an identity that has been lost over time, even if not everything is to be considered negative.”

According to the former Juventus defender, the restart must necessarily pass through young people and a shared vision at the federal level. In support of his thesis, he cited the path of the Under-17 team, which made it all the way to the European final: “It is proof that talent exists. The boys are there, but they need to be accompanied and enhanced better. Surely something is still missing, but the base on which to work is there.”

Chiellini then stressed the need for a change of pace on the part of the entire soccer system: “We have reached the lowest point and we hope not to have to go further down. Now we need a common project, built together by all components of the movement. It is up to us, as well as the governance of Italian soccer, to set out on a serious and concrete path to turn things around, without seeking alibis or hiding problems.”