Former Italy goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano has offered a particularly strong reaction to Gabriele Gravina’s decision not to step down following Italy’s elimination from the World Cup playoffs. Viviano suggested that the FIGC president’s accountability should involve more than just a resignation.
Speaking to Radio Firenzeviola, Viviano declared, “It seems unfathomable to me that the federation president hasn’t resigned. If I were in his position, I would leave the country.”
The former Serie A stopper did not limit his criticism to those at the very top of the federation.
Viviano Slams Italy’s Academies: “Nothing is Built, Nothing is Taught”
Drawing on his personal experience as a father with children involved in youth football, Viviano pointed to a fundamental failure at the grassroots level as a primary cause of Italy’s repeated international setbacks.
He noted, “We are one of the finest countries in sport; alongside the Balkan nations, we possess an incredible array of talent and are naturally predisposed to succeed.”
“However, in football academies, nothing truly constructive is being built, and nothing substantial is being taught. It all boils down to ‘today I won, today I lost,’ and nothing more profound than that.”
This is a damning assessment that resonates with the broader frustration voiced across Italian football since Wednesday’s penalty shootout defeat in Zenica.
With Gravina showing no indication of stepping aside despite escalating pressure from politicians, former players, and the general public, the calls for fundamental change, both in leadership and at the foundational level, show no signs of diminishing.