The president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Gabriele Gravina, resigned this Thursday following the failure of the national team, which failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time. This situation put him in a tight spot and led to harsh criticism. The leader leaves his post after the defeat in the final playoff match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties, a result that caused a media earthquake in Italy with calls for his resignation. "Gravina informed the highest representatives (...) that he had resigned from his position," the FIGC said in a statement after the meeting held in Rome. On June 22, elections will be held to elect the new president. Giovanni Malagó appears as one of the main candidates. Gravina led an era marked by structural reforms, two new absences from the World Cups (2022 and 2026), and the conquest of Euro 2020. He was elected president in 2018 with 97.20% of the support and subsequently re-elected in 2021 and 2025, starting his third term until 2028. Additionally, in 2025, he was elected as a member of the UEFA Executive Committee and first vice-president of the organization. In the sporting field, he backed coaches such as Luciano Spalletti and Gennaro Gattuso, even after the recent defeat. After the third World Cup absence, Minister Andrea Abodi and political sectors demanded his resignation and a restructuring of the FIGC. However, Aleksander Ceferin came to his defense, stating that his departure will be a great loss for Italian football.
