ROME: Gabriele Gravina president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has resigned following the national team’s failure to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time.
Gravina made the announcement after a meeting at the FIGC headquarters in Rome following public calls from Sports Minister Andrea Abodi for him to step down.
Italy four-time World Cup champions were eliminated in the play-offs by Bosnia and Herzegovina in a penalty shootout ending their hopes of appearing at this summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The unexpected defeat prompted Gravina, 72 to bring forward his decision to resign abandoning plans to wait for next week’s FIGC board meeting. The federation has confirmed that an extraordinary assembly will be held on June 22 to elect a new president.
Giovanni Malago, former head of the Italian Olympic Committee and organiser of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, is among the potential candidates for the role.
Alongside Gravina, head coach Gennaro Gattuso is expected to resign while general manager Gianluigi Buffon former Italy goalkeeper confirmed his departure.
Abodi described Italy’s failure as a stark warning: “Italian football must be rebuilt from the ground up starting with leadership changes at the FIGC.”
Gravina who became FIGC president in October 2018 as a permanent replacement for Carlo Tavecchio, had initially resisted calls to resign, stating that Italian football “is in a profound crisis” and criticising politicians for pushing only for resignations.
The high point of Gravina’s presidency came with Italy’s thrilling triumph at Euro 2020 under Roberto Mancini, when the Azzurri went unbeaten for 37 matches and defeated England at Wembley to claim their second European Championship. Yet repeated World Cup qualification failures and a poor defence of the European title left Gravina little choice but to step down.
Italy’s football struggles are not limited to the national team. Serie A clubs have also underperformed in European competitions, with no Italian side winning the Champions League since 2010.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has expressed concern over Italy’s stadium infrastructure, warning that the country could lose its co-hosting rights for Euro 2032 if upgrades are not completed.
These challenges contrast sharply with Italy’s achievements in other sports. The nation claimed a record 30 medals at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, including 10 golds, and won 40 medals at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. Italian athletes continue to shine across multiple disciplines, including tennis star Jannik Sinner, a four-time Grand Slam champion.
Gravina’s remarks on the state of other sports also sparked controversy, when he referred to them as “amateur” or “state sports,” noting that many Olympians are employed by branches of the armed forces and police, unlike professional footballers.
