In a major shake-up of Italy's football leadership, Gabriele Gravina has stepped down as president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) following the nation's failure to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time. This follows a heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina in the play-off final, which ended Italy's hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Gravina’s resignation marks the end of a turbulent chapter for Italian football, as the four-time World Cup champions now face a crisis unlike any before. The federation’s struggles to qualify, following failures to make the cut for Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022, have placed unprecedented pressure on both the leadership and the national team.
Buffon Follows Gravina's Lead in Resignation
In an unexpected turn of events, Gianluigi Buffon, one of Italy’s greatest-ever players and former national team goalkeeper, also resigned from his role as delegation head. Buffon, who played a pivotal part in Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning squad, made the announcement via Instagram, revealing that with Gravina’s resignation, he felt compelled to step down "out of responsibility."
"The primary goal was to bring Italy back to the World Cup. Unfortunately, we failed," Buffon wrote, adding that he believed it was time for new leadership. The 48-year-old, who has been closely involved with the national team, emphasized the need for fresh figures to take on the roles and responsibilities that he had once held.
FIGC Faces Growing Scrutiny and Future Challenges
Gravina, 72, who has been at the helm of FIGC since 2018, leaves behind a complicated legacy. His tenure saw Italy’s triumphant Euro 2020 victory, where they defeated England in a dramatic penalty shootout. However, the recent World Cup failure has overshadowed his accomplishments. Before stepping down, Gravina had made efforts to maintain stability within the team, notably requesting that current head coach Gennaro Gattuso remain despite the team’s failure to qualify for the global tournament.
The resignation of both Gravina and Buffon comes as the FIGC prepares for a critical vote on a new president, which will take place on June 22. Giovanni Malago, the former head of the Italian Olympic Committee and president of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics organizing committee, is expected to be a leading candidate.
Italy’s Euro 2032 Bid Under Threat
In addition to the leadership crisis, Italy faces further challenges with its football infrastructure. Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin has warned that Italy’s role as a co-host for Euro 2032 could be jeopardized unless the country significantly upgrades its football stadiums. Despite the country’s strong footballing heritage, many of Italy’s stadiums are outdated, with clubs facing difficulties in modernizing their grounds due to ongoing disputes with local authorities.
Italy has until October to submit five stadiums to Uefa that meet the standards required to host matches for Euro 2032. Without necessary improvements, the tournament may be relocated, leaving Italy’s reputation as a footballing powerhouse in question.
Ceferin, who had previously supported Gravina’s leadership, noted that the poor state of Italy’s football infrastructure was not solely the fault of the FIGC, but rather an issue that Italian politicians should address. “Perhaps it is Italian politicians who should be asking themselves why Italy has some of the worst football infrastructure in Europe,” Ceferin stated.
