Italian football is staring into the abyss. With Inter Milan already confirmed out, the weight of a nation falls on Juventus and Atalanta—both of whom are currently trailing by significant margins.

Echoes of 1987

Not since the 1987-88 European Cup, when Diego Maradona’s Napoli fell in the first round to Real Madrid, has Italy faced a Round of 16 without a single representative. In an era where the "Seven Sisters" once dominated Europe, this collapse signals a potential shift in the continental hierarchy.