Matic, formerly of Manchester United, Chelsea and Lyon, says Italian football struggles at youth level.
He told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "It (football in Italy) has been in the 1990s. The first problem is about the academies. I have seen it with my son - the youth sectors in England and France are much further ahead.
"They teach you to drink, develop the technique and encourage you to have fun while trying to find the right solutions.
"Another theme is the tactics that is important, but it fills too much. In Italy, many teams play with three defenders and attack too little.
"It is said that there is a lack of intensity, but how should it be when you first and foremost defend in your own half?
"An innovative project is needed, otherwise the situation in a few years will be even worse. And that makes me sad because I am now part of Italian football and would like to see it at another level."