Italy continues to worsen, with UEFA's updated ranking following losses by Bologna and Fiorentina. Italy's fifth place in the Champions League has been pushed even further from contention after losses by Bologna (Europa League) and Fiorentina (Conference League). Here is the updated ranking: All Italian teams have been eliminated. For the third consecutive edition, the Azzurri are not in the final stage of the World Cup, having been knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16, with Napoli, the Italian champions, eliminated even in the group stage, and Inter, the league leaders, eliminated by Bodo Glimt. Bologna and Fiorentina, respectively 8th and 15th in Serie A, involved in the Europa League and Conference League, are at least trying to salvage Italy's honor in football terms, despite being hit by the English teams last night. Aston Villa defeated Bologna at Dall'Ara (1-3), while Crystal Palace, in their first participation in a European Cup, defeated the Viola team with a clean 3-0 victory. Both teams will have to make a real effort to overturn yesterday's losses. A simultaneous farewell for both teams next Thursday, with the return matches scheduled at Villa Park and Franchi stadiums, is much more likely. In short, it is a dramatic moment for Italian football. FIFA's ranking continues to worsen, UEFA's ranking drops significantly In the FIFA ranking, Italy fell to 12th place last November, under pressure from Colombia and Senegal, with Croatia, Germany, and Belgium, respectively 11th, 10th, and 9th, already far ahead. In the UEFA ranking, things do not look any better, quite the opposite. Italy is falling significantly with its representatives in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League. Within one season, they have gone from 21,875 points in the 2024-25 season to the current 18,714 points, with an overall ranking, from 2021-22 to today, of 99,660 points and only two teams still in contention in Europe. Perhaps only for a short time. Italy has currently fallen to 5th place, having been overtaken by Portugal a month ago with 19,300 points, meaning that three of the five teams still playing in Europe are now in the top three spots. England leads the ranking with 25,569 points, followed by Spain (20,906), Germany (20,285), Portugal, and Italy. France is in sixth place, much lower, with 16,678 points. Never worse than this since 2019 For the first time since the 2018-2019 season, Italy may not have a team reaching the semifinals of any of the three European Cups. This catastrophic result comes after what happened in Bosnia and their two other failed attempts to regain a place in the finals of a World Cup in 2017 and 2022. All this while candidacies for the FIGC presidency are awaited after Gravina, in search of a return to their prosperous years.