Gabriele Gravina is set to resign after Italy’s World Cup qualification failure.

Gabriele Gravina, president of the Italian Football

Gabriele Gravina is set to resign after Italy’s World Cup qualification failure.

Gabriele Gravina, president of the Italian Football Federation, is widely expected to resign on Thursday, just 48 hours after Italy national football team suffered another historic setback by failing to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the third consecutive time. The shocking elimination, which came after a penalty shootout defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team in the European play-off final, has triggered a wave of anger across Italy’s football community.

The pressure on Gravina has rapidly intensified, both from the public and political circles. Andrea Abodi openly called for a complete overhaul of the federation’s leadership, stressing that Italian football needs to be rebuilt “from zero” after a series of failures that have severely damaged its global reputation. The repeated absence from the World Cup—after missing the 2018 and 2022 editions—has now turned into a full-blown crisis for one of football’s most historic nations.

Although Gravina initially resisted calls to step down, insisting that the final decision rested with the Federal Council, major Italian media outlets such as La Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport reported that his position had become untenable. With both public opinion and institutional support fading, his resignation is now seen as inevitable rather than optional.

The backlash was further intensified by controversial remarks attributed to Gravina, in which he appeared to diminish the importance of other sports in Italy by labeling them as amateur or state-dependent compared to football. These statements sparked widespread criticism on social media and added fuel to an already tense situation, reinforcing calls for leadership change and accountability.

Once the resignation is formally submitted, the federation is expected to initiate an electoral process, with an assembly to be held within 90 days to appoint a new president. This transitional period is likely to be crucial in determining the future direction of Italian football and restoring confidence among fans and stakeholders.

Attention has already shifted to potential successors, with several high-profile names emerging. Among them is Giovanni Malagò, a member of the International Olympic Committee and president of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic organizing committee, widely viewed as a strong external candidate. Internal figures such as Giancarlo Abete and Matteo Marani are also being considered for the role.

In addition, media speculation has highlighted several legendary figures from Italian football as possible leaders for the next phase, including Adriano Galliani and former icons such as Alessandro Del Piero, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta, and Demetrio Albertini. Their potential involvement reflects a broader push to bring experienced football minds into leadership roles during what is expected to be a sensitive rebuilding phase.

As Italy looks ahead, the coming weeks will be decisive. The federation faces the difficult task of restoring credibility, rebuilding its competitive structure, and ensuring that the national team returns to the global stage after an unprecedented period of absence.