Italy football federation chief resigns after nation’s third straight World Cup miss

Gabriele Gravina resigned as president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on Thursday, bowing to mounting political pressure after Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. The 72-year-old announced his decision at the start of a meeting with the federation's six governing components at FIGC headquarters in Rome, according to Reuters.channelnewsasia

The FIGC said it will hold an extraordinary assembly on June 22 to elect a new president, while Gravina offered to appear before a parliamentary committee on April 8 "to report on the state of health of Italian soccer".channelnewsasia

A Crisis Years in the Making

Gravina had initially resisted calls to step down after Italy's penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday in Zenica, which sealed the Azzurri's elimination from the 2026 World Cup playoffs. Bosnia advanced 4-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, with Alessandro Bastoni's red card proving a turning point.instagram+1

"They want me to resign, but now I'm used to it," Gravina said in the immediate aftermath of the loss. But the pressure quickly became unbearable. Sports Minister Andrea Abodi declared that Italian football needed to be "rebuilt from the ground up" and called for "a renewal of the FIGC leadership". Lazio president and senator Claudio Lotito went further, launching a petition in the Italian Senate demanding Gravina's departure. Protesters pelted the FIGC headquarters with eggs.football-italia+3

The Coaching Question

Gravina's exit is expected to trigger a broader overhaul. Coach Gennaro Gattuso, who took charge in 2025, is also expected to leave along with team manager Gianluigi Buffon, according to journalist Michele Criscitiello. Sky Sport Italy reported that Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri are among the leading candidates to replace Gattuso, while Criscitiello also reported that Abodi has already contacted Roberto Mancini, who previously managed the national team and led Italy to the Euro 2020 title.reddit+1

What Comes Next

Gravina took charge of the FIGC in 2018 after Carlo Tavecchio resigned following Italy's failure to reach the 2018 World Cup in Russia. While his tenure included the Euro 2020 triumph, it also encompassed two further World Cup absences — in 2022 and now 2026 — meaning Italy will go 16 years without appearing at the tournament. Names circulating as potential FIGC presidential candidates include former Italian Olympic Committee head Giovanni Malagò and ex-FIGC president Giancarlo Abete.sports.yahoo+1

Italy, four-time World Cup champions, last appeared at the finals in 2014 and have won just one match at the tournament since lifting the trophy in 2006.channelnewsasia