The Athletic FC Podcast Is Italian football actually broken?
7 snips
Feb 26, 2026 
Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero, a tactical football reporter, and James Horncastle, an Italian-football specialist, debate whether recent Champions League shocks mean Serie A is broken. They unpack Inter and Juventus' exits, Bodo/Glimt's fearless rise, lessons from Atalanta's model, and why club finances and scouting shape continental fortunes.
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Champions League Losses Reflect Club Issues Not League Collapse
- Champions League exits don't prove Serie A is broken; club-specific factors explain failures.
- James Horncastle points to Juventus' three coaches in 2025 and Christian Kivuo's first big Champions League campaign for Inter as root causes.
Inter's Finals Were Remarkable Given Their Financial Constraints
- Reaching two Champions League finals in three years was an overachievement for Inter given financial limits and free-transfer assembly.
- Horncastle emphasizes Inter's squad was built on free transfers amid ownership upheaval yet still reached finals.
Premier League Dominance Is Reshaping European Football
- Economic stratification is deepening: the Premier League earns ~3.5x Serie A's revenue, reshaping European competitiveness.
- Horncastle argues there's effectively one money-dominant league and Italian clubs must adapt commercially.