Ancelotti believes the issue goes beyond defensive mistakes and reflects a broader decline in the rhythm and intensity of Serie A compared with Europe’s top competitions. He also pointed to the changing global market, suggesting the league no longer attracts the world’s best players.
“The fundamental difference is in pace, not just the competitive pace of running but also the mental pace, of continuous participation, of intensity that isn’t an empty noun and can’t be used only in certain phases of the match,” he said. “Italian football has lost precisely this.
“Great foreign players no longer come to Italy; abroad, with huge television rights and powerful investors, a more attractive market has emerged. Therefore, Serie A no longer features internationally renowned talents like Falcao, Maradona, Platini, Krol, Rummenigge, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and all the others from a bygone era. Where do young Italians learn from?”
