According to Italian media reports, after Federico Mangiameli, a former AC Milan youth player, exposed scandals in Italian football, several young players have also come forward to speak out.
Following Italy's elimination from the World Cup, Mangiameli revealed many problems plaguing Italian football, especially the chaos in the lower leagues. He posted on social media with a caption and a photo of himself wearing an AC Milan jersey: “Only those who have personally experienced this circle know how dirty it is behind the scenes. Agents can directly move players from regional amateur leagues to Serie C with a 50,000-euro envelope. Serie A and youth teams are occupied by high-paid foreign players, and some coaches don't even have the right to decide the starting lineup.”
Mangiameli is not alone. After Italy's heavy defeat, other young players have also publicly exposed the serious flaws in the current football system. In fact, new testimonies have been emerging continuously in recent hours, confirming that Italy's current football system is completely out of control.
The first to speak out was Francesco Fedato, who said bluntly: “Coaches have to pay to take up coaching positions, players have to pay to get playing opportunities, and sports directors have to pay to take the director's seat. The youth training system is occupied by foreign players, and the number of foreign players in Serie A even exceeds that of local players. Coaches (both professional and non-professional) at all levels of youth teams either coach for free or receive a monthly salary of only over 200 euros. There is no planning, no infrastructure, and no capital investment. The regulations for young players in amateur leagues are absurd, and the playing time data in Serie C is all falsified. The Italian Football Federation's coaching qualification courses can only be entered through connections and bribes. Italian football didn't die today; it has long been dead for many years.”
Alessandro Sara also angrily criticized: "This system has long been decayed and collapsed. As I gain more experience, I realize that football in this country is a garbage circle. They only value results and never care about your development. Sending you to lower leagues to 'gain experience'—in the end, you will only find that it is full of corruption. There are no complete facilities and no guarantees whatsoever. In the end, only foreign players, veterans, or those with connections can establish themselves, because it is profitable for them."
Finally, Alessandro Bresan said: “Do you see who is playing on the field? They are all someone's sons, whose fathers paid 20,000 euros. Do you see the new coach of that team? I heard he brought in 50,000 euros in sponsorship.”
