Gabriele Gravina resigns as Italian Football Federation president
Gabriele Gravina has resigned as president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) following Italy's failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. The federation confirmed Gravina tendered his resignation during an emergency meeting with the heads of Serie A, Serie B, Serie C, the amateur league, the players' association, and the coaches' association in Rome on Tuesday. An extraordinary electoral assembly has been scheduled for June 22nd to choose his successor.
Gravina, who was elected in February 2025, informed the assembly's members of his decision. According to a federation statement, he also confirmed his availability to appear before a parliamentary committee on April 8th to deliver a comprehensive report on the state of Italian football. The meeting was described by Renzo Ulivieri, president of the Italian coaches' association, as "very sad and very tranquil," acknowledging a long-standing period of difficulty for the national game dating back to 2006.
The resignation follows Italy's defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina last week, which confirmed the Azzurri's absence from the 2026 World Cup. This marks the third successive World Cup Italy has failed to reach, a historic low for the four-time world champions. In the immediate aftermath, Gravina faced criticism for comments perceived as dismissive of other sports, which the Sports Minister, Andrea Abodi, suggested he hoped were merely a "lapse in lucidity."
During the meeting, Gravina expressed regret over the interpretation of those remarks, stating they were not intended to be offensive but to highlight different regulatory frameworks. The broader discussion focused on systemic issues, with Umberto Calcagno, president of the players' association, highlighting the chronic lack of playing time for Italian players in domestic leagues as a fundamental problem needing address.
The search for a new president now begins, with potential candidates including Serie C president Matteo Marani, former FIGC president Giancarlo Abete, and CONI president Giovanni Malagò. The focus will be on presenting a clear program for reform. The future of the national team's managerial position is also uncertain, with Under-21 coach Silvio Baldini a likely interim appointment for friendly matches in June, while former manager Antonio Conte has been suggested by some commentators as a long-term candidate for the rebuild.
The crisis is underscored by stark data from the CIES Football Observatory, which shows Serie A ranks last among Europe's top five leagues for effective playing time and ball speed, while Italian-trained players receive a significantly lower share of minutes compared to their counterparts in Spain, Germany, England, and France.
