There's a big difference between becoming a good but ordinary and an extraordinary player. As i happen to watch the Bundesliga as much as i can and i can confirm both players you mentioned are just that, good but ordinary. Ajax on the other hand has one of the best youth system in the world and will always produce one or two players who will fit the above average/top class category.
Agreed. I've seen too many stars before they were stars, you can always tell how they differ from everybody else. Ronaldo at 16 yo was such a thing to watch, you knew he was gonna be big one day. Real talent will always outshine over the rest and Italy right now has nobody that show that kind of talent.
It took the Germans a decade to fix their whole system. They built many schools to teach young coaches how to coach, they produced players accordingly to what is required in Football today, 70% physical 30% technical. Etc...
The great Paul Breitner was in Brazil 2 years ago and he gave this interview explaining what changed in Germany's Football from 2002 to today, and there was this thing he said that amazed me how ahead their thinking was. Imagine if we were see talent, just talent alone as ratings, from 0 to 10...
He said instead of focusing on producing one or two rating 10 players and a hundred 4's or 5's or 6's, they focused on making everybody become 8's and 8.5's so that means each individual might not become Messi's but when they play together, the collectivity would overcome anything. The whole concept is really genius.