From World Cup hopes to Inter’s structural limits and fan culture in the U.S.: Facchinetti’s unfiltered take on Italian football
by Claudio Brachino
Francesco Facchinetti — artist, manager, and licensed football agent — speaks with Claudio Brachino for SMIT – Soccer Made in Italy. In this wide-ranging interview, he breaks down Italy’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup, the structural gaps in Serie A clubs, Inter’s attacking issues, and the emotional connection of fans abroad, especially in the United States. A sharp and passionate perspective from someone who operates inside and around the game.
Will Italy qualify for the World Cup?
«On paper, absolutely yes. If we fail to qualify facing — with all due respect — the teams ahead of us, then the climb really isn’t that difficult. The mountain isn’t that steep to reach the goal. Of course, looking back, the recent past scares us: the way we crashed out in the last World Cup cycle still gives us nightmares. But there’s one thing Italy has in its DNA — unpredictability. We saw it in 2006 after the turmoil in Italian football, and again at Euro 2021, when we won with a squad nobody believed in. In the U.S. they’d call us underdogs
So I expect something magical to happen, because if it doesn’t, then it’s time to tear everything down and start over. Italy — four-time World Cup champions, a nation that has produced Ballon d’Or winners — cannot miss out again. We’d be below countries that have never even dreamed of reaching our level. And today we’re in an embarrassing situation, even though Italian clubs have reached two Champions League finals in recent years. It’s time to stop and seriously reflect».
Do you actually like this Inter team?
«Inter as a culture exists, and in recent years the club has had, on one hand, an incredible squad — no question about that — but on the other hand, recurring problems in attack whenever there are injuries or absences. It’s a cyclical issue. When Bayern Munich can spend €15 million just on a loan to have a fourth or fifth striker on the bench, you understand the gap.
So we have to ask ourselves: who is Inter’s fifth striker? The fourth? Even the third? If we expect to compete at the highest level with backup forwards who can’t score even in front of an open goal — with all due respect, because sometimes it’s about form or confidence — then results will reflect that.
A striker has one job: to score. It’s the only role in the squad with such a clear, measurable objective. If you don’t score, you’re not doing your job. That’s why top clubs have five or six attacking options. If your team doesn’t score, it’s over.
If you look at Inter over the last three years, the problems always come when goals dry up — when the two main strikers struggle or are unavailable. And again, look at Bayern: €15 million just for a loan deal to add depth. That’s the reality.
Thankfully, this season Inter has found a young striker who, in my opinion, represents the future. I hope he stays because he’s exactly the kind of profile I like — developed in the youth academy, with a pathway that should be studied. Not everyone is ready at 18; some players need a proper development process, and his is a perfect example.
But we can’t think about winning everything with two-and-a-half strikers. It doesn’t work. Sure, you can have moments, maybe even make a deep run, but then you face teams like Real Madrid, PSG, or Bayern Munich — and that’s where it ends.
You can’t build a strategy around miracle runs. Inter vs Barcelona was an epic achievement, something that wouldn’t happen again if you replayed it a thousand times. That’s not a model. You need structure. To compete in Europe, you need five or six top-level strikers. Without that, you’re going nowhere».
What is Inter’s image abroad, especially in the United States?
«I’d say Juventus is probably the most supported Italian club abroad, while AC Milan is very strong in Asia. But there’s something interesting: when you go to the U.S., maybe because of the distance, the connection to Italy actually becomes stronger.
Compared to Europe, you feel a deeper desire to stay connected to your roots. When I’m there and I watch an Inter game in a pub — I’ve never been to the Inter Club in New York, but I’d love to — I always meet Inter fans. And that’s when you really feel it: Interism.
Being an Inter fan is about epic moments. That’s how we win — from the Trapattoni title-winning season to the Treble. Either we go all the way, or we collapse, sometimes competing on multiple fronts and then falling short.
It’s a unique club, very emotional. We had Ronaldo, and people still talk about him. When Inter fans come together, they share both suffering and joy. It’s intense, but also something really special».
Final question: should we go watch a derby together?
«Absolutely — let’s go watch a derby».
And what about future projects, including music?
«If you want to interview Pooh or organize something in New York, just let me know. I’ll send you the dates: we’ll be in New York from November 16 to 18, then in Chicago. And for an interview with Pooh, I can already tell you — 100% yes».
