Italy's World Cup Failure Prompts Napoli President to Propose Serie A Downsizing

De Laurentiis Calls for League Reform

According to Главком: Following Italy's third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has proposed reducing the number of teams in Serie A from 20 to 18. He argues this change is necessary to preserve the fitness of Italy's national team players, who recently lost a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2026 World Cup qualifying play-off final. This latest disappointment continues a troubling trend for the four-time world champions, who have now missed the last three tournaments.

The decisive match in Zenica saw Italy take an early lead through a 15th-minute goal from striker Kean. However, defender Bastoni's sending off before halftime shifted the momentum. Bosnia and Herzegovina equalized in the 79th minute via a goal from Tabakovic. In the subsequent penalty shootout, Italy's hopes crumbled as Esposito skied his attempt and Cristante hit the crossbar, while Bosnia converted all four of their penalties for a 4-1 victory.

Roots of the Italian Crisis

De Laurentiis suggested that a return to a smaller league format could be part of the solution, stating:

"Serie A used to have 16 teams, but today we want 20. If we went back to 16 teams and didn't play Super Cups in Saudi Arabia, we would save the energy of the players we pay, not FIFA or UEFA. That way, we would have ample time for national team training."

- Aurelio De Laurentiis

Italy's struggles on the global stage have persisted for nearly a decade. The last World Cup they qualified for was in 2014. They finished second in their group behind Spain for the 2018 tournament and then lost a play-off to Sweden. In qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, they again placed second in their group and suffered a stunning 0-1 play-off defeat to North Macedonia. This prolonged absence from football's biggest event is a source of national concern.

De Laurentiis's proposal to shrink Serie A highlights growing alarm over the state of Italian football, directly linking domestic league structure to national team performance. While reducing fixtures could theoretically improve player readiness, such a move would likely spark intense debate among clubs and fans about its impact on league competitiveness and revenue. The football community's reception to this idea will be crucial for any potential reform.