Italian soccer crisis worsens

First it was the Champions League. Then came the national team. Now it’s the Europa League and Conference League.

Italy’s soccer crisis is worsening with Bologna and Fiorentina risking European exits. Bologna’s 3-1 loss to Aston Villa in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals and Fiorentina’s 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace in the same stage of the Conference League make it likely that Italy won’t have any clubs in a European semifinal for the first time in seven years.

The latest losses came after Atalanta — the only Italian club to reach the Champions League round of 16 — was eliminated by a whopping 10-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich last month.

Inter Milan — which was humiliated in a 5-0 rout by Paris Saint-Germain in last season’s final - and Juventus were eliminated by Bodø/Glimt and Galatasaray, respectively, in the Champions League playoffs.

Defending Serie A champion Napoli finished 30th in the 36-team league phase and didn’t even make the playoffs. The only goal scored by an Italian club on Thursday came from Bologna’s English winger Jonathan Rowe.

“At this level experience counts and Aston Villa probably had more, as they made fewer mistakes and made the most of ours,” said Bologna winger Federico Bernardeschi.

Ollie Watkins completed a brace for Villa in stoppage time.