Alessandro Del Piero believes Italian teams “need to find again the love for the game” if they are to compete with the best teams in Europe.
Despite reaching the Champions League final last season, Inter were knocked out by Bodo/Glimt in the play-off round this term.
It was the first time a Norwegian team had eliminated an Italian in the knockout stages of the European Cup/Champions League.
No Italian teams finished in the top eight of the league phase in 2025-26, while reigning Serie A champions Napoli were knocked out before the knockouts after finishing 30th.
Juventus also lost their play-off first leg 5-2 against Galatasaray, putting them on the brink of elimination.
Del Piero, however, does not believe the struggles of Italian teams recently is a coincidence.
“Can I cry? It’s a struggle situation,” legend Del Piero told CBS before Inter’s loss on Tuesday.
1 – For the 1st time a Norwegian team have eliminated an Italian in the knockout stages of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League; in general, it had only happened when #Bodø/Glimt defeated Lazio in the quarter finals of the UEFA Europa League 2024-25. Step.#BodøInter pic.twitter.com/XaPOLrUuqh
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) February 24, 2026
“It is the result of what has happened in Italy in the past years. The level of investment is low. Other markets have become much, much bigger than us.
“Youth systems? We will see Borussia Dortmund play Atalanta with two Italian guys [born in] 2008. Excuse me? What’s going on? Why don’t we have these Italians, why are they playing for Dortmund?
“I believe that, financially, our teams need to be more regulated. Not having so much debt. We don’t [all] have owners, like Juventus have, who write a big cheque at the end of the season.
“We need to find again the love for the game, not only on the pitch. We need to be more responsible for what we show the public, there are so many controversies sometimes.
“We need to find tradition, not only for young footballers.”