- From the past to the present, many Italian players have played in the Premier League.
- Many have succeeded, including Gianfranco Zola, Roberto Di Matteo and Paolo Di Canio.
- But among them, there are those who failed. Here are 5 famous footballers who failed in England.
Italy is undeniably one of the most successful countries in football and has a long history of unique playing styles.
Meanwhile, Italy continues to produce a wealth of talented coaches and players, with the likes of Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli and Paolo Di Canio all making the move to the English top flight.
However, in recent years, many famous Italian players have not been as successful in the Premier League as they should be. Today, we will take a look back at 5 famous players who have had disappointing performances in the UK.
1. Mario Balotelli
To say he was unsuccessful would be an understatement, as he is the only Italian footballer to have lifted the Premier League trophy, but behavioural problems both on and off the pitch have unfortunately marred his career. Balotelli
‘s goalscoring record at Manchester City was impressive, with 30 goals in 80 games in all competitions between 2010 and 2013, before moving to AC Milan for two seasons.
Balotelli returned to England with Liverpool, but his time in the https://ufabet999.app club was anything but memorable, scoring just one goal in 16 Premier League games.
2. Moise Keane
When he broke through at Juventus, Keane was widely regarded as one of the most talented strikers in Italian football. His strength, technique, intelligence, speed and instinctive finishing made him a world-class player. However, a move to Everton
in 2019 saw Keane’s career take a dramatic turn, with him scoring just four goals in 39 appearances during his three years with the Toffees before being sent back to Juventus. The
24-year-old is currently playing for Fiorentina, having made one appearance for the Violet.
3. Gianluca Scamacca
Scamacca moved to West Ham from Sassuolo in 2022 for a reported £35million under former Scotland boss David Moyes and it was unavoidable that the pressure was mounting. The Italian striker struggled to make an impact, scoring just three goals in 16 Premier League appearances and struggling with
injuries, which prevented Scamacca from regaining his confidence. Scamacca spent just a year
at West Ham before returning to his homeland to play for Atalanta and enjoyed another impressive campaign, scoring 12 goals in 29 appearances and helping the team win the Europa League last season.
4. Alberto Aquilani
Aquilani joined Liverpool from Roma in 2008 for £20m under Rafael Benitez, and the move had the Kop fans excited and hoping to see him perform.
However, the former “Wolf Prince” midfielder struggled to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League. In his first season, Aquilani made 18 Premier League appearances, scoring just one goal, before suffering a series of injury problems. The following year, Aquilani played just two games for Liverpool before being loaned out to Juventus and AC Milan before moving permanently to Fiorentina in 2012.
5. Marco Materazzi
The 2026 World Cup winning centre-back is widely regarded as one of the greatest Italian players of his generation, having proven his talent during his time at Inter Milan, where he led the Nerazzurri to numerous trophies.
However, it was during his time at Everton in the 1998-99 season that Materazzi’s reputation was severely damaged, as he was found to have a hot-headed streak of attacking opponents, earning three red cards in 27 Premier League appearances. Materazzi only played in England for a year before being sold to Perugia in his homeland. He has never returned to the UK since.