Italy, the country that once dominated the World Cup, may miss a third consecutive consecutive tournament due to a lack of progress in the sport. The last time an Italian team won the Champions League was in 2010 and 2014, and Italy has been knocked out of the group stage at World Cups in both 2010 and 2022. Despite this, Italy has not qualified for the 2018 edition of the 2018 World Cup and 2022 editions. The final six spots in the tournament will be decided in playoff games that could potentially result in multiple longshot teams qualifying. Italy's coach, Gennaro Gattuso, has been under pressure since taking over from his predecessor, who was fired after Italy was shut out in World Cup qualifying. The decline in Italy's performance was not immediately obvious, with the country's top domestic league, Serie A, Inter Milan, featuring the highest-ranked team from 2006, ranking 11th and 11th, compared to England's top 20 teams. Former player Marco Amelia, who played on Italy's 2006 team, suggested that clubs should invest more in young Italian players and urged clubs to invest in more foreign players.