Football

Nov. 14, 2017 | 01:28 PM

Italy's decline can be traced to Serie A's problems

Italy's forward Ciro Immobile reacts at the end of the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualification football match between Italy and Sweden, on November 13, 2017 at the San Siro stadium in Milan. AFP / Miguel MEDINA

Associated Press

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Summary

The best players in the world go elsewhere.

Paradoxically, the start of Italy's decline can be traced back to 2006 -- the year Italy won its fourth World Cup.

The Premier League is where former Italy coach Antonio Conte now manages at Chelsea, having won the league in his first season.

It's the complete opposite of Serie A, where most of the big squads play in dilapidated stadiums that were last renovated for the 1990 World Cup -- the last major tournament that Italy hosted.

Of Italy's six biggest clubs -- Juventus, Milan, Inter Milan, Roma, Lazio and Napoli -- only Juventus has a new stadium that it operates on its own.

Although Italy is no longer the draw it was once for the best in the world, it still has a large contingent of foreign-born players.