According to the 2014 World Championship captain, the Azzurri play “like Tank Leer”.
From Philipp Lahm’s perspective, Italy’s football has been crazy. “Italian teams of today remind me of a Ferrari, which, reduced by 200 hp and half fully filled up, does ten laps before the destination of the fuel. The most beautiful design does not help,” wrote the 2014 World Champion captain in his time -column.
The Squadra Azzurra was recently “better organized” in the Nations League against the DFB-Elf (1: 2/3: 3), “but it could not deal with its intensity. To say it with Giovanni Trapattoni: Italy played like tank empty.”
Philipp Lahm criticizes Italian football
Lahm: Italy has lost its radiance
Series A, once the best league in the world peppered with superstars, lost its radiance, said Lahm. He attributes this to the (poor) influence of international investors, a “sale” through which “apparently identity and meaning lost”, and on the dilapidated stages.
“But above all, the crisis has a sporting cause,” added Lahm and emphasized: “On the square there is a lack of initiative, commitment, athletics. (…) Italy has not updated its operating system, it works too slowly.”
The result is that the players did not develop further. “Therefore there is no longer a Baggio, no Del Piero, Cannavaro, Maldini, Baresi, Gattuso or Pirlo.”
Tactically, Italy can still keep up. And the good news is: “You can still win with defensive football.” However, pace and passion must be added.