VERONA, ITALY – APRIL 04: Fabio Paratici of Fiorentina looks on prior to the Serie A match between Hellas Verona FC and ACF Fiorentina at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on April 04, 2026 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images)
Fiorentina director Fabio Paratici has delivered a blunt assessment of Italian football, admitting he is “angry” at the current state of the system and warning that too few Italian players are making an impact abroad.
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Speaking at a panel on youth development in Milan, Paratici urged a collective rethink across the game. “I am very angry with myself for the period we are going through,” he said, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.
“We should all be angry and reflect. We are not doing enough. Otherwise, we would not only be at the World Cup, but we would also see more Italians in the Premier League. Portugal, for example, has many more.”
He stressed that the issue runs deeper than simple structural reforms.
“It’s a sense of responsibility we should have, not just individually but as a system. I’m not talking about changing leagues, but about training methodology, infrastructure and the education of people. We must be better.”
Paratici slams lack of mental coaching in Italian youth
Paratici also revisited his experience with Juventus’ Under-23 side, but warned against treating it as a cure-all.
“It’s only the final step in the youth sector. In Italy we rarely talk about ‘post-training’, but every profession has an apprenticeship phase, so why shouldn’t footballers? The gap between Primavera and the first team is huge.”
He added that development in Italy remains too narrow in focus.
“We always evaluate technical and physical aspects, but I never hear about the cognitive side. Is the player intelligent? Does he have personality? Does he really want to succeed? These factors matter just as much.”
Despite his criticism, Paratici insisted the raw talent is still there. “Our players are not inferior to others. Our national teams prove that. The difference lies in how we train and develop them.”
