But his gaze inevitably widens to the crisis in Serie A and a Celtic side that chooses to rely once again on 74-year-old Martin O’Neill: two sides of the same coin, united by a profound reflection on mentality and the use of experience. With an underlying fear: that football is definitively losing its soul.
What do you think of Tottenham? Last year they barely saved themselves, but they should be at a much higher level.
“The management of that club for years didn't prioritise the football side. Even with great managers like Mourinho or Conte, the problem was the same: to succeed, you need to invest in quality players, and for five to eight years, they didn't do that.
"They are paying for that lack of investment now. They almost went down last year; maybe it would have been better if they had, so they could truly start over. Now, with a coach like De Zerbi who talks more about football and a new management structure, they seem to have understood their mistakes.
"In January, they didn't sign enough attackers, which was a huge risk. I hope they’ve analysed their errors because fixing a club doesn't happen overnight."
Do you like De Zerbi’s football?
“Yes and no. He wants to play attractive football, but it depends on whether he has the players to do it. If you don't have the right players, his philosophy becomes very difficult to implement. We have to see what he does in the next six months with his own players."
Regarding Italy, you had a brief but intense experience at Cagliari. Why is Italian football struggling so much now?
“When I played for Cagliari in the late 90s, it was the greatest era for Serie A. Every weekend you faced Ronaldo (the Phenomenon), Zidane, Signori, Baggio, Batistuta, Bierhoff... where do you see that today in Italy?
"The infrastructure hasn't changed since the 90s. There has been no development of stadiums or facilities. Also, issues with corruption and Calciopoli had a huge impact. Most importantly, youth development has been totally abandoned.
"In my time, every top team had two or three world-class Italian players. That hasn't existed for 15 or 20 years. The federation and the clubs need to refocus on Italian talent. Italy has a mythic tactical history and knowledge: where did that go? Why isn't it being used?”
You won the Treble with Celtic. How do you explain this choice to continue with Martin O'Neill, who is 74 years old, etc.? What kind of choice is that?
"That is a good question. Everything we have just discussed regarding Italian football shows that the sport still deeply values experience. Look at Martin O'Neill: now at Celtic, at 74 years old, he comes back after 20 years and drives a great development.
"Those characteristics and that knowledge are essential. The same situation applies to Italy, but they neglected that aspect; they left it aside and no longer consider it a core part of development.
"They haven't focused on that knowledge, which is extremely important for the future federation-wise and football-wise. You can see the value of this experience at Celtic, and you see it even more today in other countries too."
Why is that?
“Laziness. Everyone is just copying tactics. We are playing from the stands with a remote control: "go right, go left, go back". There is too much outside influence, from FIFA down, that doesn't focus on the individual character of the player. Sometimes I can't even watch matches because I don't see those outstanding individuals who break the mould."
Is football getting worse today?
“Much worse. We are talking about things that aren't football anymore. We need to ensure that the children of the future see football as a sport, not just a business. Football belongs to the people. If a family can't go to a World Cup because it costs $10,000, where are we going?
"Only millionaires will be able to attend. If I am a nine-year-old Ramon Vega and my father wants to take me to see Italy or Argentina, and he can’t afford it, you lose that emotional connection. This lack of empathy must change quickly."
Emanuele Giulianelli is an Italian freelance journalist and author working for Flashscore since 2026. He has collaborated with some of the world’s leading newspapers and media outlets, establishing himself as a recognized voice in international sports storytelling and analysis.