Rafa Benitez says Italy have enough quality to recover from their current difficulties, but believes the country must concentrate on developing young players and restoring its defensive identity.
The former Inter, Napoli and Liverpool coach also agreed with Massimiliano Allegri and Fabio Capello that Italian football has lost one of its traditional strengths: the ability to defend effectively.
Italian clubs endured a difficult week in Europe, suffering four defeats in four Champions League matches. Juventus, Milan and Atalanta then recorded victories in the Europa League and Conference League.
Asked by Gazzetta whether the results suggested Italian football had still not emerged from its crisis, Benitez said the problems were clear but involved several different areas.
“It is struggling, as shown by the three World Cups Italy have missed, but there are different issues to address,” he said.
“On the one hand, there are the clubs, their decisions and investments. On the other hand, there are the national team, the youth system, and the available talent, which I don’t believe is lacking.
“There may not be Baggio, Del Piero, Totti or Vieri, but there are players of real stature and considerable quality.”
Benitez said he agreed with an observation made by Allegri, which he also credited to Capello: that Italy’s defensive standards have declined.
“Italy have lost the ability to defend, one of the hallmarks of a footballing culture that was dominant for a long time,” he said.
He pointed to a number of defenders and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma as evidence that Italy still possess players capable of performing at the highest level.
“They also have top-class players at the back: Donnarumma is perhaps the best goalkeeper in the world, Calafiori is an Arsenal starter, Bastoni is a cornerstone at Inter, and Dimarco is a wing-back who can hurt opponents when he pushes forward.”
Benitez also questioned whether Serie A currently provides enough competitive balance.
“In extreme cases, you can certainly say that Roma, Inter, Napoli, and Como are built around different parameters,” he said.
“To me, it seems like a temporary short circuit, but the Champions League returns on Tuesday and Wednesday, so we’ll have answers quickly.”
Asked how Italian football could begin to improve, Benitez identified two priorities: making better use of young players and finding greater balance in the way teams play.
“Focus on young players and a balanced style of play,” he said.
Benitez linked some of the defensive problems to a change in the laws in 2019, which allowed teams to restart play from inside their own penalty area. He said the change had encouraged high pressing and man-to-man defending.
“That is what happened with Mbappe’s goal [against Roma]: one individual error, with no cover, leads directly to a chance,” he said.
“Today, teams defend man-to-man, which results in a counterattack every time the initial press is beaten.”
