Paratici ‘angry’ with state of Italian football: ‘There are few Italians in the Premier League’
Paratici ‘angry’ with state of Italian football: ‘There are few Italians in the Premier League’ Fiorentina director Fabio Paratici has delivered a blunt assessment of Italian football, admitting he is “angry” at the current state of the system and warning that too few Italian players are making an impact abroad. Read Football Italia Ad-Free and get access to Exclusive News & Content – Free Trial – Click Here Speaking at a panel on youth development in Milan, Paratici urged a collective rethink across the game. “I am very angry with myself for the period we are going through,” he said, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb .
“We should all be angry and reflect. We are not doing enough. Otherwise, we would not only be at the World Cup, but we would also see more Italians in the Premier League.
Portugal, for example, has many more. ” He stressed that the issue runs deeper than simple structural reforms. “It’s a sense of responsibility we should have, not just individually but as a system.
I’m not talking about changing leagues, but about training methodology, infrastructure and the education of people. We must be better. ” FLORENCE, ITALY – MARCH 8: Fabio Paratici of ACF Fiorentina looks on during the Serie A match between ACF Fiorentina and Parma Calcio 1913 at Artemio Franchi on March 8, 2026 in Florence, Italy.
(Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images) Paratici slams lack of mental coaching in Italian youth Paratici also revisited his experience with Juventus’ Under-23 side, but warned against treating it as a cure-all. “It’s only the final step in the youth sector. In Italy we rarely talk about ‘post-training’, but every profession has an apprenticeship phase, so why shouldn’t footballers?