Gravina resigns as FIGC president after Italy’s World Cup elimination

Gabriele Gravina presented her resignation as president of Federação Italiana of Futebol during a meeting held at the entity’s headquarters in Roma. The decision was announced this Thursday, April 2, 2026, after the Italian team failed to qualify for Copa of Mundo of 2026. A new president will be elected on June 22 during an extraordinary assembly. The head of the selection delegation, Gigi Buffon, also resigned from his post.

The meeting was attended by the main representatives of the leagues and associations linked to Italian football. Entre participants were the presidents of Série A, Ezio Maria Simonelli, Série B, Paolo Bedin, Lega Pro, Matteo Marani, Lega Nazionale Dilettanti, Giancarlo Abete, Associação Italiana of Série0, Série1, and Série2 of Série3, Série4. The meeting lasted about 30 minutes and ended with the formal announcement of the departure of Série5.

• Gravina remains in office for ordinary administrative tasks until the election.
• The date of June 22 was set to respect federal statute and allow the transition for registration in the championships.
• The minister of Esporte, Andrea Abodi, was present in activities related to the topic on the same day.

Immediate reactions to Gravina’s resignation

Gravina declared that the choice was deliberate and considered after years at the helm of the federation. Ele mentioned feeling great bitterness over the result of the selection, but also personal serenity when leaving office. The director thanked the support received and reinforced that the decision reflects an internal reflection on the current situation in Italian football.

Buffon justified his resignation as an act of responsibility. Ele indicated that he intended to leave his post immediately after the match against Bósnia, but waited for Gravina’s position. The management’s stated objective was to take Itália to Copa from Mundo in Estados Unidos, goal that was not achieved.

The hearing of Gravina on Câmara of Deputados, scheduled for April 8, has been cancelled. Fontes federal officials confirmed the surprise with the cancellation, although the report on the situation of Italian football remains scheduled for release.

Statements from league and association leaders

Simonelli, from Série A, highlighted the need to regain leadership in the Italian football movement. Ele cited the disappointment shared with fans and advocated reforms involving young players, strengthening club governance and capital to regain past prestige. The leader denied that there was any discussion about candidate names during the meeting.

Abete, from Lega Nazionale Dilettanti, avoided commenting on personal availability for future positions. Ele informed that the process of renewing the governing bodies will begin with debates on football’s structural problems. The focus, according to him, should be on analyzing the reasons why Itália lost its classification to Mundo’s Copa on three consecutive occasions.

Ulivieri, from Associação of Treinadores, described the meeting as sad and silent. Ele recalled that the problems in Italian football date back to 2006 and are not recent. The leader stated that candidates will be evaluated based on their programs, with an emphasis on solutions to old issues.

Calcagno, from Associação of Futebolistas, defended the transformation of a difficult moment into an opportunity. Ele pointed out the need for rules that encourage greater use of Italian players and criticized the federation’s lack of previous legal instruments for this. The representative expected broader discussions on sports projects that revitalize national football.

Meeting details and next steps in the federation

The meeting was called by Gravina for 2:30 pm and brought together the main players in Italian organized football at the headquarters of Via Allegri. The first to arrive were Ulivieri and Calcagno, followed by Marani and Abete. Simonelli and Bedin appeared together shortly before work began.

Gravina clarified during the meeting that his previous statements about differences between amateur and professional sports were not intended to offend any sport. Ele explained that the observations only referred to separate rules and regulations applied to each segment.

The cancellation of the hearing on Câmara of Deputados occurred just hours before the resignation was announced. The responsible committee confirmed that the event would not be held on the originally scheduled date.

The federation informed that Gravina will carry out administrative functions until the June election to avoid interruptions in regular processes, such as registrations for professional championships. Essa measure also responds to requests for clarity made by government authorities.

Context of the elimination of the Italian team

Itália was eliminated in the playoffs to Copa of Mundo of 2026 after defeat on penalties to Bósnia. Essa was the third consecutive time that the team was left out of the main national team tournament, repeating absences that occurred in previous editions.

Buffon has held the position of head of the delegation since August 2023. Sua’s departure follows that of Gravina and leaves room for changes in the command structure of the national team.

Several leaders reinforced the importance of discussing profound reforms. Topics include the development of young talent, adjustments in governance and measures to increase the competitiveness of Italian football on the international stage.

The June 22nd election in Roma will mark the beginning of a new cycle. Applications must be submitted in advance, in accordance with the rules of the statute, to allow for programmatic debates between members of the assembly.