Gabriele Gravina has stepped down as president of the Italian Football Federation after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third straight time.
His resignation was confirmed following an emergency FIGC general council meeting held after Italy’s play-off final loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday. A new president is set to be elected on June 22.
Gravina, who had led the federation since October 2018, oversaw both Italy’s triumph at Euro 2020 and a disappointing run of World Cup qualification failures, including for the 2022 and 2026 tournaments. The country had also missed the 2018 edition before his tenure.
The emergency meeting was attended by top figures in Italian football, including Ezio Simonelli, Paolo Bedin, Matteo Marani, Giancarlo Abete, Umberto Calcagno and Renzo Ulivieri.
During his tenure, Gravina appointed Luciano Spalletti in 2023 and Gennaro Gattuso in 2025 as national team coaches.
His exit comes amid growing pressure from fans and officials following Italy’s latest failure. Italy’s Sports Minister, Andrea Abodi, said the situation shows the need to rebuild Italian football, starting with new leadership at the federation.
Focus will now shift to potential replacements, with names such as Giovanni Malago, Giancarlo Abete and Matteo Marani already being mentioned.
