According to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport, for the first time since the 1930-31 season, no Italian players who have participated in the World Cup will appear in Serie A, the reason being that Italy has failed to qualify for the World Cup for three consecutive tournaments.
A thorough review of the rosters of all 20 Serie A clubs, whether by yearbook or memory, reveals not a single Italian player who has ever appeared in a World Cup. Keep in mind that Italy already had a limited pool of players available for the 2014 World Cup…
Italy 2014
Let's first look at the 23 players who went to Brazil with then-coach Prandelli for the 2014 World Cup. The names in parentheses are their current positions or most recent jobs: Buffon (former team manager of the Italian national team), Perin (Palermo in Serie B), Sirigu (free agent), Abate (Torino coach), Barzagli (assistant coach of Italy U21), Bonucci (technical advisor of the Italian national team), Chiellini (director of Juventus), Darmian (free agent), De Sciglio (free agent), Paletta (coach), Aquilani (Sassuolo coach), Candreva (retired), De Rossi (Genoa coach), Marchisio (retired), Thiago Motta (coach), Parolo (AC Milan U17 coach), Pirlo (Union Dubai), Verratti (Duhail), Balotelli ( Union Dubai ), Cassano (retired), Cerci (retired), Immobile (retired), Insigne (Sampdoria in Serie B).
Going back further, Italy last failed to qualify for the World Cup finals in 1958, but the team participated in 1954 and returned to the World Cup in 1962. Therefore, it was almost impossible for Serie A to be without Italian players at that time. Especially since each team could usually only register 2 to 3 foreign players, until England's loss to North Korea at Middlesbrough in the 1966 World Cup was significantly tightened. Compared to the previous season, this difference is obvious, as Italian players only accounted for about 28% to 29% of the starting lineup. To find a similar season, we have to go back to the 1930-31 season.
Uruguay 1930
In fact, there was another time Italy didn't participate in the World Cup: the inaugural World Cup held in Uruguay. Uruguay won the hosting rights thanks to its Olympic gold medal, its promise to build the world's largest stadium, and its commitment to reimburse the expenses of all participating countries. Italy was originally one of the candidate countries to host this historic tournament, but ultimately chose not to participate due to its opposition to holding it in Uruguay. Therefore, there were no Italian players in the 1930-31 Serie A season. The next season was different; for example, Luis Monti debuted then. He obtained Italian citizenship in 1932, having just played for Argentina in the 1930 World Cup, losing to Uruguay in the final. Later, this Juventus midfielder won the 1934 World Cup with the Azzurri, becoming the only player to have played in two World Cup finals for two different countries. If all went well, it would be another four years before another player like him appeared…
