Gabriele Gravina steps down as FIGC president following Italy’s third consecutive World Cup qualification failure, sparking leadership change.
ROME: The president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has resigned following the national team’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.
Gabriele Gravina announced his decision after a meeting at the FIGC’s headquarters on Thursday.
Italy’s latest elimination came after a penalty shoot-out defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-offs on Tuesday. The result means the Azzurri will miss the 2026 finals in North America.
The shockwaves from the defeat forced Gravina, 72, to accelerate his departure. He had initially planned to wait until a board meeting next week to decide his future.
The FIGC stated that a vote for a new president will be held on June 22. Potential candidates include Giovanni Malago, the former head of the Italian Olympic Committee.
Gravina’s resignation also places the position of national team coach Gennaro Gattuso in doubt. Gattuso’s contract expires this summer and it was Gravina who had asked him to stay on.
Elected in October 2018, Gravina’s tenure included the high of Italy’s Euro 2020 victory. The team, then managed by Roberto Mancini, went unbeaten for 37 matches before winning the final at Wembley.
However, two failed World Cup qualifications and a poor defence of their European title ultimately sealed his fate. His reign began after Carlo Tavecchio resigned following Italy’s first play-off failure to Sweden in 2017.
Gravina further stirred controversy after Tuesday’s loss by referring to other successful Italian sports as “amateur” and “state sports”. He contrasted them with football, which does not have state-employed athletes.
Italy recently excelled at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, winning a record 30 medals. The nation also claimed 40 medals at the 2024 Paris Summer Games.
The country boasts top performers across various sports, most notably four-time Grand Slam tennis champion Jannik Sinner.
The Sun Malaysia
