Antonio Conte’s Italy have dropped to 17th place in the official FIFA rankings, the Azzurri’s lowest position since the system’s introduction in 1993.
The 2006 World Cup winners have not won in 2015 after a near-flawless streak of winning five from six games during the previous year, and sit second in qualifying Group H for Euro 2016 behind Croatia.
Italy sat 10th four months ago, but now fall seven places to 17th behind Austria, Slovakia, Wales, Romania and just two places ahead of top African nation Algeria; Argentina rise to the top spot while Germany, Belgium and Copa America quarter-finalists Colombia make up the top four.
The Azzurri will have a chance to improve on their poor recent form when they take on Malta and Bulgaria on home soil in September before Euro 2016 qualifying comes to a close in October when Norway come to Rome.
In the long term the rankings harm Italy as they will have to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia from pot two when the groups are drawn on July 25.
