Rafael Benitez Calls for Italian Football Reset After Poor Champions League Start
Italian clubs have endured a difficult opening to the Champions League, taking only one win from eight fixtures across the first two rounds. With Napoli, Roma, Inter and Como all beaten on matchday two, Rafael Benitez has urged a renewed commitment to youth development and a more balanced approach on the pitch.
Italian clubs’ Champions League start
| Matchday | Italian record | Key results |
|---|---|---|
| Round one | One win, one draw, two defeats | Como beat Leipzig; Roma drew with Fenerbahce |
| Round two | Four defeats | Inter, Roma, Napoli and Como all lost |
| Overall | One victory from eight matches | Italian sides seek a response in round three |
Como supplied the only Italian victory in the opening set of fixtures, overcoming Leipzig, while Roma shared the points with Fenerbahce. Inter were defeated by Real Madrid and Napoli lost against Arsenal.
The second round brought no improvement. Club Brugge beat Inter, Real Madrid overcame Roma, Villarreal defeated Napoli and Feyenoord won against Como, leaving all four Serie A representatives without a point from the matchday.
Benitez accepts that Italian football is facing wider difficulties, pointing to Italy having failed to qualify for three World Cups. However, he does not believe the problem is a shortage of capable players. Instead, he identified decisions made by clubs, their investment strategies, the national-team setup and youth pathways as separate areas requiring attention.
The former Napoli coach also backed the concerns previously raised by Massimiliano Allegri and Fabio Capello over defending. In Benitez’s view, Italian football has lost a defensive identity that was once central to its long-standing success.
He stressed that the country still possesses high-level defensive talent, naming Gianluigi Donnarumma as possibly the world’s leading goalkeeper. Benitez also highlighted Arsenal regular Riccardo Calafiori, Inter mainstay Alessandro Bastoni and Federico Dimarco, whose forward runs from wing-back can create danger.
Round-three fixtures offer an immediate response
Italian teams will have a chance to halt the run in the next Champions League round. Napoli are scheduled to meet Bodo/Glimt, Roma face Slovan Bratislava, Como play Manchester United and Inter take on Shakhtar.
Benitez believes the route forward is not simply a tactical adjustment. He called on clubs to place greater emphasis on younger players and to adopt a more even, controlled style, rather than relying on man-to-man systems that can leave teams overly exposed.
