Gianluigi Buffon blames politicians for Italian football’s downfall in major interview | OneFootball

Italy’s National Team Head of Delegation, Gianluigi Buffon, has delivered a scathing assessment of Italian football’s struggles, blaming decades of complacency and the short-sighted nature of the country’s political class for the continuing crisis, according to an extensive interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport.

The 2010 Prophecy and Living in the Past

Buffon addressed his famous comment upon returning from the 2010 World Cup, where he had warned that the national team’s struggles were just beginning. He recalled his original warning: “Here we made some mistake, there is no doubt. But beware: in a few years we will find ourselves celebrating qualifications, not a World Cup win.”

He explained that this was not merely prophetic, but a recognition of the situation: “I understood what was happening, the changes underway were faster than expected.” He added that his intent was also “I also wanted us not to tell ourselves stories that no longer exist.”

Buffon drew a stark contrast between Italy and its European rivals, noting that Italy is still burdened by its history. He said that unlike Italy, other major football nations are in the present: “The problem is living in two worlds that do not meet. On the one hand, by virtue of our history, we are presumptuous: we think everything is due to us by divine grace.”

He continued, “France has been a great team for thirty years, Spain for almost twenty, they are in the present.” For Italy, he blamed a fundamental failure in planning: “Today’s results date back twenty years, to when we became complacent about our strength, about Buffon, Cannavaro, Totti. Thinking that it would be eternal by divine grace. Even then, we should have rethought the technical and tactical models, but we were cicadas.”

Blame and The Future Crisis

The legendary goalkeeper was direct in his criticism of the system’s lack of long-term vision, which he attributes to external pressure. He stated that implementing the necessary deep reforms requires a commitment that politicians are unwilling to make: “It is a courageous choice that politics often doesn’t make, focused on votes and therefore on the here and now, without thinking about planning.”

Buffon concluded with a grim prediction for the continued stagnation of Italian football: if these issues are not addressed with stability and patience, the problems will remain for the next generation. He warned the interviewer: “Simple: in ten years you will interview another Buffon in my place, and the questions and answers will be the same.”

Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN