Italian football federation president Giancarlo Abete has called for serious analysis of what he says is a “structural crisis” that led to the defending champion's dismal first-round elimination from the World Cup. Italy's 3-2 loss to Slovakia Thursday marked the first time the Azzurri exited the World Cup without winning a game, and the 2006 champion hasn't won at all in 2010. “We all know the importance of football in our country. We need to reflect on the structural crisis of Italian football.” Abete said he would introduce new coach Cesare Prandelli on July 1, and confirmed that the former Fiorentina manager would lead the team through the 2014 World Cup. “We've got to develop a strategy to start over. This problem didn't begin yesterday,” Abete added. “It's been going on for a while. We have the duty to start over.” Nine players on Italy's squad were 30 or over, led by 36-year-old captain Fabio Cannavaro, and Prandelli will be charged with a major overhaul. “Prandelli was chosen for his skills at working with younger players,” Abete said. “And it is noteworthy that we're signing him to a four-year deal. We're looking ahead long term.” Abete lamented the large number of foreign players in Italy's Serie A, referring to how Inter Milan won this year's Champions League without a single Italian player in its starting lineup. “These problems don't involve just Italian football, it's a Europe-wide problem,” Abete said. Abete said he would put a priority on developing younger players and improving relationships with the country's clubs, coaches and youth programs. “We've already seen how much the European powers have struggled at this World Cup and how well the South Americans are doing.” Italy's retiring captain Fabio Cannavaro linked the problems on the pitch to the violence in the stands that often mars games in Italy's dilapidated stadiums. “Something has to change. Just look at our stadiums and the way people behave. We've got to invest in younger players and learn from this loss, otherwise it's going to take another 27 years before we win the World Cup again.
