Gabriele Gravina resigned as president of the Italian Football Federation on Thursday, two days after Italy's elimination from World Cup 2026 qualification marked the third consecutive tournament the four-time champions will miss.
The 72-year-old executive submitted his resignation following Italy's penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina in the European playoff final on Tuesday. The loss condemned the Azzurri to their third straight World Cup absence after missing Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
Gravina had led the federation since October 2018, taking charge shortly after Italy's failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. His tenure included the triumph of winning Euro 2021, but was overshadowed by repeated World Cup qualification failures and an early exit from Euro 2024.
The federation announced that Gravina informed the federal council of his decision and called an extraordinary electoral assembly for June 22 in Rome. His departure comes amid mounting pressure from Italian sports officials and media criticism of what has been termed the "third apocalypse" of Italian football.
Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi had publicly called for Gravina's resignation on Wednesday, declaring that Italian football needed to be "refounded" with new leadership at the federation level. The minister held Gravina primarily responsible for the national team's continued struggles on the international stage.
RFI presents the resignation as a direct consequence of Italy's World Cup failure. The outlet emphasizes the historical context of Italy's multiple championship titles alongside their recent tournament absences.
NZZ frames Italy's failure as reflecting broader national issues including insufficient talent development and lack of diversity. The outlet suggests systemic problems beyond just leadership failures.
La Nación provides comprehensive coverage of the resignation while highlighting the pressure from government officials. The outlet details the expected broader leadership changes including potential departures of coaching staff.
Gravina also serves as first vice-president of UEFA and maintains close ties with European football's governing body president Aleksander Čeferin. His dual role had positioned him as an influential figure in European football governance beyond Italy's borders.
The former businessman and ex-president of a small Abruzzo club that briefly played in Serie B had attempted to preempt resignation calls by convening a federal council meeting immediately after Tuesday's defeat. He sought to conduct evaluations of his leadership, but pressure from government officials and media proved insurmountable.
Giovanni Malagò, former president of the Italian Olympic Committee and organizer of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, emerges as the leading candidate to replace Gravina. The transition comes at a critical time for Italian football, which faces systemic challenges in developing talent and maintaining competitiveness.
National team coach Gennaro Gattuso, appointed in June 2025, and general manager Gianluigi Buffon are also expected to resign according to Italian media reports. The departures would complete a comprehensive overhaul of Italy's football leadership structure ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.