Italian football officials urge reforms to boost youth academies

Former FIGC president Franco Carraro warned that the share of Italian players eligible for the national team in Serie A has fallen from 70% in 2006 to 31% today, arguing that restoring higher participation requires stronger youth sectors and better development pathways. He dismissed the idea that reducing the Serie A to 18 clubs would help the national team, stating that any league size change should be evaluated on economic and competitive grounds, not on national‑team performance.

Serie B chief Paolo Bedin echoed the call for a strategic overhaul, proposing a dedicated “Decreto Giovani” to activate the internal market for youth talent and to treat the academies as a strategic industrial sector for Italy. He stressed that concrete incentives for youth academies are essential to revive the technical level of Italian football.

Both officials see revitalising the youth development system as the key priority for the incoming FIGC president, whether Giancarlo Abete or Giovanni Malagò, to restore Italy’s football competitiveness.