Key Takeaways
- Fiorentina director Fabio Paratici demands urgent reform of Italian football’s youth system.
- He warns that Italy exports far fewer players to the Premier League than rival nations like Portugal.
- Paratici claims training programmes ignore vital mental and personality traits in young footballers.
Fabio Paratici has issued a stark warning about the declining state of Italian football. The ACF Fiorentina director admits he feels “angry” regarding the current development system.
Speaking at a youth coaching conference in Milan, Paratici urged the entire sport to reflect on its failings. He pointed out that very few Italian players secure moves to the Premier League. He contrasted this with Portugal, which regularly supplies talent to England’s top division.
“We should all be angry,” Paratici stated. “We are not working hard enough. If we were, we would see more Italians playing in foreign leagues.”
The former Juventus FC executive stressed that the problem runs deeper than simple rule changes. He called for improvements in training methodology, better facilities, and enhanced education for coaches.
Paratici also referenced his previous role managing Juventus Under-23s. However, he cautioned that reserve sides cannot solve the crisis alone. He highlighted the massive gap between youth football and senior first-team football in Italy.
He argued that Italian academies focus too heavily on physical and technical skills. They frequently neglect to assess whether young players possess intelligence, confidence, and genuine desire to succeed.
Despite his harsh criticism, Paratici insists that raw talent still exists in Italy. He noted that the national team’s performances prove this point. The issue, he concluded, lies in how the system nurtures that potential.