Atalanta’s 6-1 defeat in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 against Bayern Munich summed up why Italian soccer is facing a big crisis in recent years, showcasing a big setback in the ambitions of the side coached by Raffaele Palladino. Let’s be honest, we couldn’t expect the Nerazzurri to win or to defeat Bayern Munich in the two legs, especially with the second one taking place at the Allianz Arena in Germany, but there is a big difference between low expectations and the heaviest defeat in the history of the team in the European tournaments. Was it Atalanta’s fault? For sure, but it also makes quiet clear why Italian soccer is failing to meet its previously heavy standards on the European stage.
Palladino tried something different against Bayern Munich, but it certainly didn’t work out, especially because the German giants made some changes in the lineup. Jamal Musiala, Leon Goretzka, Alphonso Davies, Harry Kane and Lennart Karl all started from the bench and weren’t involved in the first half, when Bayern managed to score three goals in the opening 25 minutes of the game in Bergamo.
Atalanta were, and technically still are for another week, the only Italian team left in the most important soccer club competition in the world, after the disappointments of Napoli, Inter and Juventus. Napoli, the 2024-25 Serie A champions, were eliminated in the league phase, while both Inter and Juventus were knocked out in the playoffs by Bodo/Glimt and Galatasaray, respectively.
Despite the status of Italian soccer in recent years, with both clubs and the national teams struggling, we could expect more from the biggest teams. Atalanta, despite losing the first leg of the playoffs against Borussia Dortmund, managed to make an extraordinary comeback in Italy, but then showed to be not at the level of this tournament when facing the side coached by Vincent Kompany.
Speaking to Sky Italy after the game, Atalanta head coach Palladino summed up well why this team can’t currently compete with Bayern.
“I had never seen players with these qualities; they really impressed me. They always delivered the ball to the right foot and with the right speed. You can sit deep, but they still hurt you. We were never able to break forward, their counter-pressing meant they recovered the ball immediately. If we made it this far, it’s because with this mentality, we beat Chelsea and Borussia. Beyond the systems, the difference is made by the players,” he said.
If the best Italian clubs didn’t have a good European season, there is no added excitement for the Italian national team, who see the majority of their players play in the domestic Serie A. Italy, four-time FIFA World Cup champions, missed the tournament in both 2018 and 2022. Failing to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup would be a major disaster for the national team. Later this month, the side coached by Gennaro Gattuso will play in the playoffs, where they will have the chance to secure a place at this summer’s tournament. Millions of fans are simply hoping that the Azzurri won’t mirror the struggles Italian clubs have shown in Europe this season, because if they do, the country may have to brace itself for the unthinkable: missing out on the World Cup for a third consecutive time.
