Calling it a failure may sound harsh, but Italy’s 2025–26 Champions League campaign comes very close to that label. The numbers are stark: no Italian side reached the quarter-finals, and there was even a real risk of having none in the round of 16, avoided only thanks to Atalanta’s dramatic comeback against Borussia Dortmund.

The overall performance highlights a deeper structural issue. Italian teams played 40 matches in total, recording 16 wins, 7 draws and 17 defeats, conceding more goals than they scored and posting a modest average points tally. Even Juventus, the most consistent of the group, failed to alter the broader picture.

Perhaps most telling is the record against top opposition: just four wins against teams that reached the knockout stages, compared to a long list of defeats. The gap with Europe’s elite appears not only financial, but also technical and psychological.

The contrast with the early 2000s, when Italian clubs dominated European football, makes the current situation even more striking. Familiar explanations are no longer enough—this is a deeper সমস্যা that calls for serious reflection. Without meaningful change, this downturn risks becoming the new normal.