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.