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Italy\u2019s National Team Head of Delegation, Gianluigi Buffon, has delivered a scathing assessment of Italian football\u2019s struggles, blaming decades of complacency and the short-sighted nature of the country\u2019s political class for the continuing crisis, according to an extensive interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport<\/b>.<\/p>\n
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Buffon addressed his famous comment upon returning from the 2010 World Cup, where he had warned that the national team\u2019s struggles were just beginning. He recalled his original warning: \u201cHere we made some mistake, there is no doubt. But beware: in a few years we will find ourselves celebrating qualifications, not a World Cup win.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n He explained that this was not merely prophetic, but a recognition of the situation: \u201cI understood what was happening, the changes underway were faster than expected.\u201d<\/em> He added that his intent was also \u201cI also wanted us not to tell ourselves stories that no longer exist.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Buffon drew a stark contrast between Italy and its European rivals, noting that Italy is still burdened by its history. He said that unlike Italy, other major football nations are in the present: \u201cThe problem is living in two worlds that do not meet. On the one hand, by virtue of our history, we are presumptuous: we think everything is due to us by divine grace.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n He continued, \u201cFrance has been a great team for thirty years, Spain for almost twenty, they are in the present.\u201d<\/em> For Italy, he blamed a fundamental failure in planning: \u201cToday\u2019s results date back twenty years, to when we became complacent about our strength, about Buffon, Cannavaro, Totti. Thinking that it would be eternal by divine grace. Even then, we should have rethought the technical and tactical models, but we were cicadas.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The legendary goalkeeper was direct in his criticism of the system\u2019s lack of long-term vision, which he attributes to external pressure. He stated that implementing the necessary deep reforms requires a commitment that politicians are unwilling to make: \u201cIt is a courageous choice that politics often doesn\u2019t make, focused on votes and therefore on the here and now, without thinking about planning.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Buffon concluded with a grim prediction for the continued stagnation of Italian football: if these issues are not addressed with stability and patience, the problems will remain for the next generation. He warned the interviewer: \u201cSimple: in ten years you will interview another Buffon in my place, and the questions and answers will be the same.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nBlame and The Future Crisis<\/h3>\n