'No self-esteem' - Roberto De Zerbi blames 'everyone' for Italy collapse as Marseille boss says lack of talent responsible for woeful period

Italy have surprisingly struggled for form on the international stage, as despite having won the 2020 Euros, they have missed out on the last two World Cups through the qualification stage. Gli Azzurri suffered four straight defeats before head coach Luciano Spalletti was sacked from his post.

Italy are fearful that they may be set to miss out on their third straight World Cup as they are currently third in their World Cup qualifying group. As such, Italian Marseille coach De Zerbi has launched into a rant towards the current crop of talent coming through in Italy, and also blamed 'everyone' for the current crisis.

Speaking on Alessandro Cattelan's podcast Supernova [h/t CalcioMercato], De Zerbi said: "Norway-Italy? As an Italian working abroad, it hurts even more. I think differently from what you hear or partly hear. I feel that it is a period in history in which we are struggling to produce players of a certain level. Surely something must be wrong. I am no one to say whose fault it is, certainly not all the coaches who are taking turns on the bench.

"In the long run I think that it is no longer the time of Totti, Del Piero, Inzaghi, Montella or Vieri in which you did not know who to bring. Now France has these things, Spain but Italy does not. Italy has some strong players like Barella, Bastoni, Tonali, Locatelli; but it is a period in which we are not able to produce a certain level. Against Norway there was no mentality or self-esteem and that is also part of the level.

"What happened: Italy goes to Norway, where it's colder and finds a very strong team. The championship ended yesterday and the season was tough: it's not easy for everyone to prepare for a match like that. I always start with the player and it's hard to find talent now. I really think the level is low. It's everyone's fault who's part of the system."

Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina has claimed that Italy are willing to wait to sign a new coach, and are in no real rush to sign Spalletti's successor.

He said: “There is no meeting today, and I say this with absolute clarity. We have taken time to reflect, not on one name. It’s not a problem of names.

“We have time available, so we must put together a project that we can then bring into reality and determine whether it can be carried forward.”