Four-time FIFA World Cup winners Italy last lifted the trophy in 2006 after defeating Zinedine Zidane’s France. Since that triumph, Italian football has steadily declined. The Azzurri crashed out in the group stage in the next two tournaments and failed to qualify for the last two editions entirely. With the possibility of missing a third straight World Cup, Gianluigi Buffon has attributed the issue to political complacency and the absence of long-term planning.
As the current head of delegation for the Italian national team, Buffon reflected on the state of Italian football in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport. The former goalkeeper said the downward slide was clear even years ago.
“𝑾𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒐𝒃𝒗𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆—𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒑 𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒔.”
Living in the Past, Ignoring the Present
Buffon said that after returning from the 2010 World Cup, he already sensed the beginning of deeper problems. He explained that the decline wasn’t a prediction but an understanding of where things were heading. “Everything changed sooner than anyone expected,” he added.
Drawing comparisons with other top European nations, Buffon stated that Italy remains stuck in its glorious past while countries like France and Spain continue to evolve. According to him, “The real issue is trying to exist in two worlds—our history makes us proud, but it has also trapped us.”
He further emphasized that while France has dominated for nearly three decades and Spain for two, Italy failed to adapt. Their over-reliance on past stars such as Buffon, Cannavaro, and Totti created a false sense of security. During that period, crucial work on technical and tactical development was ignored.
Lack of Political Will for Reform
Buffon was particularly critical of political leaders, accusing them of lacking the courage to introduce meaningful reforms. He argued that politicians focus on votes rather than the future of the sport. “They have no vision,” he said bluntly.
Looking ahead, Buffon predicted that Italy’s struggles will continue unless a stable, long-term plan is implemented. He concluded with a sharp warning: “In ten years, you’ll interview another Buffon—but the questions and answers will still be the same.”
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