Gabriele Gravina, the departing head of the Italian Football Association (FIGC), has labeled suggestions for Italy to take Iran’s place in the 2026 World Cup as “shameful.” He asserted that only the Azzurri supporters truly merit a spot at the tournament, while maintaining that he does not consider his tenure as FIGC President to be a failure.
Gravina submitted his resignation from the FIGC shortly after Italy’s inability to secure a World Cup berth for the third consecutive time, following their defeat in the play-off final against Bosnia and Herzegovina in late March. The election to select his successor is scheduled for June 22, with Giovanni Malagò and Giancarlo Abete considered the frontrunners.
In an interview on the television program ‘Otto e mezzo’ on La7, Gravina addressed his departure, his time leading the Italian FA, and the speculative proposals regarding Italy’s participation in the 2026 World Cup. He emphasized that his decision to step down was a personal one, not a result of pressure following the national team’s World Cup qualification failure.
Gravina on FIGC Tenure and the 2026 World Cup Proposal: ‘I don’t think I failed, fans the only ones who deserve to go’
Gravina stated, “I wasn’t forced to resign, absolutely not. It was my personal choice. I made a commitment to Italian football fans that we would get to the World Cup and unfortunately, I wasn’t able to keep true to this commitment.” He added, “It was right to resign, a gesture of love and responsibility. I’m not one to be pressured; I reason with my head and with calmness. This was an act of responsibility for the federation. There was institutional hysteria happening all over the place; it was good to not leave the FIGC over-exposed.”
Despite the national team’s repeated failure to qualify for the World Cup during his presidency, Gravina does not view his entire term as a failure. He highlighted that the FIGC oversees numerous national teams and suggested that some criticisms stem from issues beyond the federation’s control.
“I don’t think I failed,” Gravina insisted. “If we’re talking about small incidents, then of course, I failed, but if we want to talk about the activity in all its forms and all the projects we carried out, our federation is among the most appreciated in Europe and in the world. Italians attribute responsibilities to the FIGC that the FIGC does not have. There is confusion about roles. We’ve not gone to the World Cup three times, and the pattern is always the same: looking for a scapegoat. Everyone is convinced that the national team players depend on the FIGC, but there are leagues, competitions, and certain rules and laws that have to be respected. We’re evaluating the work that the federation does based off one single national team, but there are many, male and female.”
Gravina also stood by his decision to appoint Gennaro Gattuso as the head coach of the Italy national team following Luciano Spalletti’s departure as CT last summer. He commented, “For me, he was absolutely the right man for the job. He was the best, and at that moment, we needed someone who would help the guys rediscover the values that the shirt holds. But unfortunately, the sporting side of it was missing.”
Regarding the recent speculation about Italy potentially replacing Iran in the 2026 World Cup, Gravina declared, “It seems to me to be a fanciful and shameful idea. We’re negotiating for the passion of the Italian fans, who are the only ones who deserve to go to the World Cup.”
Gravina: Italy shouldn’t have a World Cup spot, but I don’t believe I failed as FIGC President
Gabriele Gravina, the outgoing president of the Italian Football Association (FIGC), has firmly dismissed any notion that Italy deserves a place at the 2026 World Cup, calling such suggestions “shameful.” He believes only the devoted Italian fans are truly worthy of attending the tournament. Despite the national team’s consecutive failures to qualify, Gravina maintains he does not view his leadership of the FIGC as a personal failure.
Gravina tendered his resignation from his post shortly after Italy’s inability to secure a World Cup spot for the third time in a row, following their play-off final loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina in late March. The election for his successor is set for June 22, with Giovanni Malagò and Giancarlo Abete being the leading candidates.
In a recent interview, Gravina elaborated on his departure, his tenure as head of the Italian FA, and the speculative idea of Italy replacing Iran in the 2026 World Cup. He stressed that his resignation was a voluntary decision, not a consequence of external pressure following the team’s qualification setback.
Gravina Reflects on His FIGC Presidency and the World Cup Controversy: ‘I don’t think I failed, the fans are the only ones who deserve to go’
“I was not compelled to resign; it was entirely my personal decision,” Gravina stated. “I had promised the Italian football fans that we would reach the World Cup, and regrettably, I was unable to fulfill that promise.” He further explained, “It felt right to resign as a demonstration of love and responsibility. I am not someone who yields to pressure; I approach decisions with logic and composure. This was an act of responsibility towards the federation. The widespread institutional panic was considerable, and it was prudent not to leave the FIGC overly exposed.”
Despite the senior men’s team missing out on the World Cup twice during Gravina’s presidency, he contends that his entire term should not be characterized as a failure. He pointed out the FIGC’s oversight of multiple national teams and argued that certain criticisms stem from issues outside the federation’s purview.
“I don’t believe I failed,” Gravina asserted. “If we are solely considering minor setbacks, then yes, perhaps I failed. However, when assessing the overall activities and the projects we implemented, our federation is recognized as one of the most respected in Europe and globally. Italians tend to assign responsibilities to the FIGC that it does not possess. There is a misunderstanding of roles. Our failure to reach the World Cup three times follows a consistent pattern of seeking a scapegoat. Many believe that the national team’s performance is directly dependent on the FIGC, but this overlooks the influence of leagues, competitions, and established rules and laws. We are evaluating the federation’s work based on the performance of a single national team, when in reality, there are numerous teams, both male and female.”
Gravina also reaffirmed his belief that Gennaro Gattuso was the correct choice for the Italy national team manager following Luciano Spalletti’s departure as head coach last summer. He commented, “In my opinion, he was absolutely the right person for the role. He was the best candidate at that moment, and we needed someone to help the players rediscover the pride associated with wearing the national jersey. Unfortunately, the sporting success that we had hoped for did not materialize.”
Addressing the recent speculation about Italy possibly replacing Iran in the 2026 World Cup, Gravina expressed, “It strikes me as a fanciful and disgraceful notion. Our efforts are directed towards the passion of the Italian fans, who are the only ones who truly deserve to be at the World Cup.”