Italian football faces management and scouting crisis

Experts and coaches are highlighting systemic issues within Italian football regarding talent development and management. While quality talent exists within the lower tiers, such as Serie D, there is a growing difficulty in transitioning these players to professional levels.

Scout and coach Luca Tardivo notes that while the LND representative teams successfully move about a third of their players to professional clubs, a lack of territorial scouting and insufficient long-term planning by amateur clubs hinder progress.

Adding to this, Italy Under-21 coach Silvio Baldini suggests the core issue is not a lack of talent, but a deficiency in qualified management. He argues that many Serie A and Serie B clubs are poorly constructed because decision-making has shifted away from technical directors toward agents and consultancy agencies, often driven by club presidents rather than sporting merit.