Club crisis hits Italy's national side

NO coach, no president, no forwards and no place in the World Cup knock-out rounds. The question is, where does Italy go from here?

Right now, the common feeling is that Italian football is in crisis.

This had long been the case in the club game but at least the national team could on occasions relieve the gloom, such as when they reached the Euro 2012 final, albeit only to be dismantled 4-0 by Spain.

That is no longer the case after a second successive World Cup group stage elimination.

Italy may have breezed unbeaten through their qualification group to reach Brazil, securing their place with two games to spare, but such small mercies will do little to appease fans of a country used to success – they are, after all, four-times world champions, a record bettered only by Brazil.

Apart from Inter Milan's Jose Mourinho-inspired Champions League triumph in 2010, Italian teams have struggled in Europe.

Since AC Milan won the competition in 2007, Inter's victory is the only occasion an Italian side has gone beyond the quarterfinals. Several times, they have not even made it there.

Last season, Milan were the only ones to make it out of their group, although they were subsequently crushed 5-1 on aggregate by Atletico Madrid.

In 2012 Italy also lost their fourth place in the Champions League as Germany overtook them in the Uefa rankings.

The national team came into this tournament ranked ninth in the world but their abject exit will probably see them drop several places.

It is hardly the time to be left with no coach and no federation president, as Italy have been following the resignations of Cesare Prandelli and Giancarlo Abete after the side's 1-0 defeat to Uruguay on Tuesday.

The immediate issue will be to replace Prandelli, with Italian media suggesting former Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri and Galatasaray boss Roberto Mancini top the list.

However, both are used to considerably higher salaries than the ß1.7-million (R24.6-million) Prandelli was receiving.

Another issue to solve is Italy's striking problem. They came into this tournament with only one established forward, in Mario Balotelli, 23.

If Balotelli does not fulfil his undoubted potential, the likes of Ciro Immobile, Napoli's Lorenzo Insigne or Milan's Stephan El Sharawy have yet to provide conclusive proof they are the future of Italy's attacking line. – AFP