Italy had only ever lost three times to Norway in their history.

They had met on 15 occasions and Italy generally tended to come out on top. They had triumphed against the Scandinavians at two World Cups in a row – USA 94 and France 98 – and until this week, their most recent defeat by Norway was in a pre-Euro 2000 friendly in Oslo.

But just over quarter of a century on, Italy were handed a pasting that will be remembered for years. One that signalled the end of Luciano Spalletti’s short, forgettable reign as boss.

Norway eviscerated the Azzurri in a manner rarely seen down the years. Goals from Alexander Sorloth, Antonio Nusa and Erling Haaland secured the 3-0 win, but make no mistake, Stale Solbakken’s side could easily have added more.

Italy were dominated, torn to pieces by a nation that was quicker, hungrier and playing football born this century. 

Against Moldova a few days later, Italy were lucky the eastern European side lacked a bit good fortune of their own and the cutting teeth of Norway, otherwise they would have been coming to terms with another humiliating defeat.

Moldova had a goal disallowed early in the first half and squandered several chance as Italy produced another listless performance.

In the end Spalletti, who two years ago delivered Napoli’s first title for 33 years playing attacking football full of vim and vigour, was not able to channel that same spirit during his 21-month stint as boss of his national team.

Spalletti may indeed go down as one of the worst Italian managers in modern history. The laboured 2-0 win against Moldova was the 66-year-old’s final game in charge, and he leaves with a record of 12 wins from 24 and one horrendous and lethargic showing at a major tournament.

Spalletti had, throughout his reign, been honest with the Italian media, and this drew him a round of applause from journalists when giving his final press conference. Yet he gave a damning indictment of the state of the national side on the way out.

“I admit that I am not leaving behind a great Italy squad to my successor, because tonight again it was not a very good performance,” he said. “I was given the opportunity to work. I tried, I made mistakes, and I staged some experiments. In whatever I do, I try to learn. I am not convinced that I know more than anyone else.”

While the argument could be made that he was not best suited to the role, he is the kind of coach who needs to be on the grass every day. Players did not necessarily cover themselves in glory.

Each game seemed to be characterised by foolish mistakes. Italy’s inability to defend set-pieces was scandalous, switching off at key moments (the corner debacle against Germany in Milan being the obvious case), or players getting foolishly sent off (Lorenzo Pellegrini against Belgium last October).

Spalletti inherited a squad in need of serious renewal following the goodbyes of stalwarts Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, the declines of Leonardo Spinazzola, Nicolo Zaniolo, Domenico Berardi and Federico Chiesa due to injury and Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne swanning off to Turkey and Canada.

Moreover, the quantity and quality of the players available to Spalletti should be the biggest concern for those within the FIGC.

Looking at the squad Spalletti picked for what would be his final two games in charge, how many are deemed world class, or even in the conversation? Gigio Donnarumma, Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella are the only three. Sandro Tonali maybe, off the back of his fantastic season with Newcastle.

For a football superpower, that is a shockingly low number. But this lack of talent has been evident for years, with the percentage of Italian players in the top flight in drastic decline for decades.

On the other hand, Italy’s younger age groups are winning competitions. The U17s won Euro 2024, while the U19s won the 2023 edition and the U20s finished runners-up at the World Cup in Argentina two years ago.

The talent appears to be there, at least down the age groups. The challenge, as it always has been, is giving that talent the chance to make the leap to senior football.

In Serie A this season, only 13 Italian players aged 23 or younger played more than 1,000 minutes. The creation of U23 sides at Juventus, Atalanta and Milan was a direct response to the critique that sending young talent on loan every season was not productive. Yet Juve’s young side finished mid-table in Serie C, while Milan Futuro were relegated to Serie D.

In a list of the top 10 accumulative minutes played in the top flight this season, only three Italians made the list, and one of them, Lecce’s Wladimiro Falcone, is a goalkeeper.

Despite the lack of money at the top end of Italy’s football pyramid, there is still that everlasting lack of faith when it comes to young Italian players.

“I remain convinced Italian football needs a cultural jump to reach high levels again,” opined Arrigo Sacchi, a man who has been calling for a revolution in the Italian youth set-up for years.

He tried, and failed, to implement change when handed the role of technical coordinator within the youth sector at the Italian Football Federation in the wake of the disastrous 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

“If we don’t go to the World Cup twice in a row and risk not going for a third time, it’s just not the fault of the coach,” he added.

Losing to Norway means Italy will most likely have to go through the dreaded play-offs again if they want to reach the tournament in Mexico, Canada and the United States next year. And they have had trouble navigating those choppy waters before.

Sunk by Sweden ahead of Russia 2018 and North Macedonia on the way to Qatar 2022, Italy will need to be flawless in the remaining games of qualifying and beat Norway by a bigger margin than they went down last Friday if they want to avoid the play-off.

But whether Italy fail to qualify is beside the point. Structural change is needed.

“There are talents in [Serie] C, but here they aren’t tested, they don’t play,” remarked Gianfranco Zola.

Zola knows more than most about being gambled on. Signed by Napoli in 1989 from Sardinian side Torres when he was already 23, Zola made the leap from Serie C1 to Serie A, from playing against Francavilla, Casertana and Campobasso to being Diego Maradona’s understudy within months, and later filling his shoes when the end came for the great Argentine in 1991.

Such a story does not happen for Italian players in the modern era. The bigger Italian sides do not sign or utilise local talent. Juventus, who have always been the bedrock of the best Azzurri sides down the years, have three outfield players who can wear the shirt.

Inter, who usually had a more international flavour (no pun intended) down the years, actually possess the most of the big three, with six. Napoli have five, while Roma have six.

Inter’s neighbours Milan have two. Two!

Of the XI who started in Spalletti’s final game, only three of them came from Juve, Milan or Inter. One of them, Davide Frattesi, barely features for Inter.

From the major European leagues, Serie A has the highest percentage of foreigners, with 67%.

The old ‘cream always rises to the top’ adage simply does not ring true when it pertains to the Italian game. Many talents simply do not get a chance to impress.

FIGC chief Gabriele Gravina asked mini-miracle worker Claudio Ranieri to perform one last feat and take over from Spalletti, but the Roman politely refused the position. 

Ranieri, who wanted to retire a year ago but answered Roma’s despairing call last season, was not going to do it a second time.

So where does Gravina go next? The options are severely limited. Stefano Pioli is a leading candidate, as are several of the 2006 World Cup squad, with former players such as Fabio Cannavaro, Daniele De Rossi and Gennaro Gattuso currently jobless.

Moreover, with the litany of issues bubbling under the surface, no Italian coach worth their salt would take the job.

Systemic issues plague calcio, and whoever comes in next will have to lead a country with an ever-dwindling pool of talent at its disposal.

The Italy job has become one of the most-poisoned chalices in the game. Meanwhile those within the FIGC will rumble on, persuading themselves that even though the mould is growing thicker on the walls, a new lick of paint will solve everything.