Gabriele Gravina, the president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), resigned on Thursday after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row. The decision followed Italy’s penalty shoot-out defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup play-off final last Tuesday.
The loss ended Italy’s hopes of reaching the 2026 tournament in North America and intensified calls for sweeping reforms in the country’s soccer structure. Gravina’s departure is expected to trigger a wider reshuffle within the federation and national team set-up.
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Italian sports minister Andrea Abodi has publicly called for new management, saying Italian football needs a complete reset. He stressed that the rebuilding process must start at the top, after repeated failures in World Cup qualification under Gravino.
Gravina, who took over in 2018 following the resignation of Carlo Tavecchio, oversaw Italy’s triumph at Euro 2020 but has struggled in World Cup campaigns. The Azzurri have now failed to qualify for the 2018, 2022 and 2026 editions, with play-off defeats to Sweden, North Macedonia and Bosnia adding to their woes.
However, the Italian struggles drag on. The four-time champions failed to progress from the group stage at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, last winning the title in 2006 with a penalty shootout victory over France.
Gravina also serves as UEFA vice-president and first deputy to Aleksander Čeferin. While UEFA rules require executive members to hold roles in national associations, he could remain in his position temporarily until the FIGC appoints new leadership. Čeferin described Gravina as an important figure and expressed his support after the defeat in the playoffs.
The fallout is expected to extend to the dugout, with Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso likely to step down. Gattuso, who replaced Luciano Spalletti in June, oversaw a brief revival with a six-match winning run but ultimately failed to secure direct qualification.
The likes of Roberto Mancini, Simone Inzaghi, Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri are already being touted as potential replacements.
Elections to appoint a new FIGC president are scheduled for June 22. Gravina also confirmed that he will attend a parliamentary hearing on the state of Italian football next week as the Azzurri enter a crucial rebuilding phase ahead of future international competitions.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
02 Apr 2026 21:25 IST
