Di Canio: Italy need Conte more than Guardiola, Tonali ideal for Inter, Kane way better than Lautaro | OneFootball

Former striker Paolo Di Canio argues that Italy need Antonio Conte even more than Pep Guardiola, says Sandro Tonali would be a perfect fit for Inter, and warns: ‘We are getting used to mediocrity.’

Ex-Italian striker Di Canio discussed the state of Italian football in an interview with Corriere della Sera, delivering a blunt and uncompromising critique.

Di Canio: Italy ‘getting used to mediocrity’

“We’re getting used to mediocrity,” said the ex-West Ham star.

“We get outraged, and then two or three days later we go back to talking about Italian players as if they were the best in the world.”

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso has resigned alongside FIGC President Gabriele Gravina in the wake of the World Cup play-off Final defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Italy U21 boss Silvio Baldini will take charge of the Azzurri for the June friendlies, with a new coach set to take over after the election of the new FIGC President on June 22.

Some Italian pundits, including ex-Italian defender Daniele Adani, have claimed that the FIGC should try to hire Guardiola, but Di Canio disagreed: “We need someone like Conte, who already knows what we are talking about,” he said.

Di Canio went on to say that issues with Italian football do not only lie on the pitch: “To begin with, we in the media are not doing our job properly,” he argued.

“Many are obsessed with self-promotion and comment to end up on social media, forgetting that we’re gasping at the bottom.”

ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – MARCH 31: Gianluigi Donnarumma of Italy reacts after the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)

Italy captain Gigio Donnarumma, a Euro 2020 winner, left Milan on a free transfer nearly five years ago to join PSG. Last summer, he signed for Manchester City.

“It’s about money, plain and simple. Legitimate, of course, and I don’t criticise him,” said Di Canio.

“In Italy, he would have had to halve his salary to play for a non-competitive team. For me, he’s very, very strong, but sometimes he makes mistakes like an average player, mistakes Buffon made once every three years. At certain clubs, one blunder in the wrong match cancels out ten miracles.”

Paolo Di Canio

There are plenty of rumours linking Tonali with a move away from Newcastle this season. Which Serie A team would suit him better?

“Inter, who already have a true playmaker,” Di Canio replied.

“He’s by far our best outfield player, but where does he play? In the tenth-placed team in the English league.”

Lastly, the ex-Juventus, Milan and Lazio striker spoke about Federico Chiesa’s lack of playing time at Liverpool and how that reflects the difference between Serie A and the Premier League: “If he came back to Italy, it would take a couple of sprints, and we’d be saying: ‘My God, why wasn’t he playing at Liverpool?’ Simple, because the Premier League is like the NBA, and we are Italian basketball. Malen at Aston Villa was the third backup; at Roma, he looks like an alien. Lautaro scores against Pisa and Lecce, and I hear people say he’s like Kane; 49 goals across all competitions. How can you even say that?”