Sassuolo chief Carnevali: ‘Maybe Italy failure at World Cup was a good thing’ | OneFootball

Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali reveals why Roberto De Zerbi was ‘enchanting’ as a coach and claims it might be ‘a good thing’ Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup.

The Neroverdi were promoted from Serie B last summer and look to be finishing more than comfortably mid-table, especially after beating Milan 2-0 at the weekend.

It sets them apart as one of the models for Italian football to follow, one of the few clubs to own a stadium, constructed a training ground, and focus on Italian youth both on and off the field.

With that in mind, it is perhaps surprising that Carnevali has suggested the failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup could be a necessary push for Calcio to change its ways.

Sassuolo set template for Serie A

SASSUOLO, ITALY – DECEMBER 06: Giovanni Carnevali, US Sassuolo Calcio CEO, looks on prior to the Serie A match between US Sassuolo Calcio and ACF Fiorentina at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on December 06, 2025 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

“But maybe it’s actually a good thing that we’re not going to the World Cup, because we need to focus on everything that needs to be put right,” he told The Athletic.

“Because if we’d just gone to the World Cup, perhaps we’d have simply swept all the underlying problems under the carpet. Instead, here we need to try to think things through, bring them out into the open and start working from the ground up with people who have the expertise, with people who have the ability to try and sort out the Italian football system a bit.”

Some of the issues are that TV rights are divided up based largely on history and size of clubs, while the lack of new stadiums is a painful problem.

“In my view, we need to look into a system whereby, when you invest in facilities, training centres, stadiums and the like, and when you invest in young players and give them a chance to play… these should be the incentives available to you,” Carnevali argues.

SASSUOLO, ITALY – NOVEMBER 03: Domenico Berardi of US Sassuolo celebrates with his team after scoring the 1-1 goal during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo Calcio and Genoa CFC at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on November 03, 2025 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Clubs like Sassuolo and Atalanta live on their youth academies, but the Italian rules have seen talents poached by other nations with nothing they can do to stop it.

Most recently, it happened with Sassuolo’s Luca Reggiani and Atalanta’s Samuele Inacio snapped up by Borussia Dortmund before they could sign a professional contract.

“These are defeats, these are the real defeats — not the ones you suffer on a Sunday. I gave this lad everything. Facilities, coaches, physios, fitness coach, nutritionist, psychologist. Everything. Then you turn 16, and it’s ‘thank you and goodbye’, because there’s a club that snaps you up and offers you a big contract.”

LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 18: Roberto De Zerbi, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 18, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Sassuolo also helped to launch the careers of some impressive coaches, including De Zerbi in 2021 before he went on to Shakhtar Donetsk, Olympique Marseille, Brighton and Tottenham.

“To me, De Zerbi is a manager who, when I see him coaching on the pitch, really enchants you,” said Carnevali.

“Watching the team train under De Zerbi is truly a thing of beauty, because you can really see the manager’s influence. And this comes through even more during matches; the ability to give the team an identity.

“De Zerbi always did that for us during those three years, embracing Sassuolo’s philosophy of trying to attack and play attractive football.”