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Gabriele Gravina, then UEFA Vice-President, waves in the stands ahead of UEFA EURO 2024 soccer match batewwn Spain and England at the Olympiastadion. Michael Kappeler/dpa
Gabriele Gravina has resigned as president of Italy's football federation FIGC in the wake of the national team failing to qualify for the World Cup for a third straight time.
A FIGC statement on Thursday said that Gravina announced his decision at a top level meeting and called for the election of a new president on June 22. He had held the job since February 2025.
Italy lost 4-1 on penalties in a play-off at Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday to miss the June 11-July 19 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Four-time winners Italy last played at the global event in 2014, going out in the group stage. They failed to qualify in 2018 and 2022.
It also remains to be seen whether coach Gennaro Gattuso will be able to stay on. The 2006 World Cup winner was backed by Gravina to continue after the match in Zenica.
Gravina was called to resign by the media and also by sports minister Andrea Abodi who urged a complete overhaul of football structures in the country, starting with the FIGC leadership.
Thursday's FIGC statement said that Gravina was willing to appear next week before a parliamentary committee to "report on the state of Italian football."
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