Italy's football is in crisis - and doubly so. While the national team fears for its participation in the World Cup, Inter, Juventus and Atalanta are in danger of failing early in the Champions League.
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- Italy's clubs are facing a debacle in the Champions League after none of them reached the top 8 and Juventus, Atalanta and Inter lost their play-off first legs.
- Inter Milan lost 3-1 away to Bodö/Glimt and will have to make up a two-goal deficit in the second leg without injured top scorer Lautaro Martínez.
- Despite their championship run in Serie A, the pressure is growing on Inter and Switzerland's Yann Sommer and Manuel Akanji.
Italy's football has definitely seen more glorious times. The national team is fighting to avoid missing out on the major event for the third time in a row in the World Cup play-offs at the end of March.
And at club level, too, the great successes are a long time ago. No Italian team has won the Champions League since Inter's title in 2010 - clubs from the other four major leagues in Europe have managed to lift the trophy since 2020.
Champions League winners of the last 6 years
- 2025: Paris Saint-Germain (France)
- 2024: Real Madrid (Spain)
- 2023: Manchester City (England)
- 2022: Real Madrid (Spain)
- 2021: Chelsea (England)
- 2020: Bayern (Germany)
Inter Milan reached the final in 2023 and 2025. Last year, however, they suffered a 5-0 defeat against PSG. This season, however, the Serie A representatives are in danger of a super disaster. In the league phase, no Italian representative made it into the top 8 and thus directly qualified for the round of 16. While Napoli were eliminated directly, Inter Milan, Atalanta Bergamo and Juventus Turin at least made it into the play-offs.
However, it was one disappointment after another for the Serie A teams. All three teams lost their first legs by two goals or more.
- Juventus Turin lost 5-2 away to Galatasaray despite leading 2-1
- Atalanta lost 2-0 at Borussia Dortmund
- Last year's finalists Inter were made to feel the home strength of Bodö/Glimt and lost 3-1 in Norway
At least all the Italians have home advantage in the second leg. Inter will probably have the best chance of turning the match around. Despite their defeat in the first leg, they will be favorites against Bodö. But watch out: The Norwegians not only beat Inter in the first leg, but also won 3:1 against Mancehster City.
And the Norwegians proved that they can do more than just play on their home turf when they beat Atlético Madrid 2-1 away from home at the end of the league phase. The latest results are all the more impressive given that the Norwegian championship has been suspended since the end of November and does not resume until mid-March.
Inter, on the other hand, are fully in the rhythm of the game and are fully on course to win Serie A. The team led by Switzerland's Yann Sommer and Manuel Akanji can therefore concentrate fully on the Champions League and the turnaround against Bodö/Glimt. The task will not be any easier because top scorer Lautaro Martínez is missing through injury.
Norwegian déjà vu at the San Siro?
It will bring back memories of 1996, when the Norwegians from Rosenborg Trondheim won 2:1 at the San Siro and knocked AC Milan out of the top flight in the group stage.
We will find out on Tuesday evening from 9pm whether Inter can turn around their two-goal deficit or whether the San Siro will be the scene of the next Norwegian triumph. Live and exclusively on blue Sport.
