00:00Yes, Italy four-time world champions, we all know that.
00:02But somehow, right now, they are staring at a third straight World Cup miss.
00:07The Uzzurri skips 2018 and 2022.
00:11That's two World Cups in a row.
00:13Ciao, buongiorno.
00:14Posso avere un caffè?
00:18And now, qualification for 2026 is anything but straightforward.
00:243-0.
00:26So, what's going on with the state of Italian football?
00:30Let's rewind back to 2006, Berlin.
00:33Italy win the World Cup in 2006.
00:38The fourth star, stitched on their jerseys forever.
00:42Zidane showed that he was the GOAT, literally, like, by behaving like an actual GOAT.
00:49Since then, for Italy, it's been group stage exits, one after another.
00:53And the journey ends.
00:55No Italy at the World Cup for the second time running.
01:00So, you fast forward to now, and Italy are sitting second in their UEFA qualification group.
01:05They're behind Norway, with two more games to play.
01:09They've already secured at least the playoff, but the direct ticket only goes to the group winner.
01:14So, it's still looking good, but the playoff roulette is a real possibility for Italy.
01:21And missing a third World Cup in a row is, unbelievably, still on the table, as well.
01:27In terms of who's sitting at the helm, Ancelotti, the Italian, was locked in for the national Brazil team gig back in May.
01:37So, he was all tied up.
01:39So, they went with Gennaro Gattuso, who was appointed in June.
01:42A national icon, yes, but a very combustible one.
01:46This is the man who fought with Peter Crouch, literally twice his height.
01:50And the Spurs coach, too, Joe Jordan, back in 2011.
01:54He also smacked his own assistant, his personal assistant, in the face on the touchline during a match.
02:00And now, you say that fire can either galvanize or it can burn.
02:05Italian clubs, though, you could say, are still a force.
02:08Nacatusso's former club, Milan, in terms of the Champions League, but their crosstown rival, Inter,
02:13they reached last season's Champions League final and have stormed into this year's in similar fashion,
02:19winning the last three out of three matches.
02:22Proof that the Italian talent pool and tactical IQ they're known for, the amazing defence, is still there on the club level.
02:29Even if the national team is stumbling a little bit.
02:33And off the pitch, there's a push to reignite the Serie A brand.
02:36UEFA has reluctantly greenlit plans, in principle, for Serie A games to be played abroad.
02:42Not like exhibition matches, like when it's the middle of August and, like, Man City shows up to play San Jose Earthquakes just for funsies.
02:50We're talking competitive matches.
02:52For example, Milan vs. Como in February of 2026 might be played in Perth, Australia.
02:58The league wants more of a global footprint.
03:01They want that global sizzle that the EPL or La Liga have.
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