Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has stated that the number of Serie A clubs should be reduced to just 16 teams to give the national team more training time.
These statements come as Italy is reeling from its third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup, after the Azzurri lost to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties in Tuesday night’s playoff final.
De Laurentiis said: “We’ve always said that the number of matches played is too many, and this is destroying our players. Today, we’re still clinging to the 20-team league.”
He added, “If we return to a 16-team system and abolish the Super Cup tournaments held in Saudi Arabia, we’ll give our players, who represent a legacy we’re paying for, a much-needed rest, and we’ll have enough time for the national team to train.”
He added, “We need to start thinking: Does the tactical approach that Italian football prides itself on really deliver results against other nations? For years I’ve been saying that everything in Italian football is stagnant and nothing changes, because when nothing changes, everyone just haphazardly manages things.”
He concluded, “I’m not someone who likes haphazardness… 16 teams, fewer matches, and more time to coach the national team.”
It’s worth noting that De Laurentiis also called for the resignation of Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina, suggesting that Giovanni Malagò, the former president of the Italian Olympic Committee, is the most suitable candidate to take over the federation and rebuild Italian football.
