Worrying Italy numbers in Champions League group phase: only 8 goals

The debate over the quality of Italian football drags on, with La Gazzetta pointing out that Azzurri players have scored just eight goals out of 487 in the Champions League championship stage.

Italian footballers scored only eight goals out of 487 during the championship stage of the Champions League, as reported by La Gazzetta on Friday.

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BERGAMO, ITALY – DECEMBER 09: Gianluca Scamacca of Atalanta BC heads the ball to score his team’s first goal past goalkeeper Robert Sánchez of Chelsea during the MD6 match of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League league stage between Atalanta BC and Chelsea FC at Stadio di Bergamo on December 09, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

There were seven Italian scorers in total, with Atalanta striker Gianluca Scamacca scoring twice, Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Federico Chiesa (Liverpool), Giacomo Raspadori (Atletico Madrid, now at Atalanta), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Antonio Vergara (Napoli) and Federico Gatti (Juventus) once.

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“The problem is well known and has persisted for some time. The number of Italian strikers in our top teams is very limited, and even from some top players abroad, who are not strikers, like Sandro Tonali, Riccardo Calafiori and Destiny Udogie, there are no encouraging signs in terms of goals.”

Italy starts attackers under Gattuso

UDINE, ITALY – OCTOBER 14: Italy’s Mateo Retegui celebrates his team’s first goal during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Italy and Israel at Stadio Friuli on October 14, 2025 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

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Italian coach Gennaro Gattuso has chosen Mateo Retegui and Moise Kean as his starting strikers, with encouraging signs in his first six games in charge.

Retegui has scored five goals and provided four assists in six appearances under Gattuso, while Kean has four goals in three appearances.

However, neither Retegui nor Kean feature in the Champions League this season as Retegui joined Al-Qadsiah from Atalanta last summer, while Kean plays in the Conference League with Fiorentina.