Gravina: Italy don’t deserve World Cup spot, but ‘I don’t think I failed’ as FIGC President
Gravina: Italy don’t deserve World Cup spot, but ‘I don’t think I failed’ as FIGC President Outgoing head of the Italian football association Gabriele Gravina says that calls for Italy to replace Iran at the 2026 World Cup are ‘shameful’, that the Azzurri supporters are ‘the only ones who deserve to go’, but insists ‘I don’t think I failed’ in the role of FIGC President. Gravina tendered his resignation from the FIGC shortly after Italy’s failure to overcome Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup play-off final at the end of March, which cost the Nazionale a place at the final tournament for a third time in a row. An election to appoint Gravina’s successor will take place on June 22.
Giovanni Malagò and Giancarlo Abete are the two leading candidates to take over the role. Gravina had an opportunity to discuss his departure from the FIGC, his tenure as the head of the Italian FA and the suggestions that Italy could still feature at the 2026 World Cup in an interview on ‘Otto e mezzo’ on La7. Gravina insists that he was not ‘pressured’ into stepping down from his role as FIGC President in any way following Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Gravina on FIGC tenure and Italy at the 2026 World Cup proposal: ‘I don’t think I failed, fans the only ones who deserve to go’ ROME, ITALY – JUNE 19: Gianluigi Buffon, Italy new head coach Gennaro Gattuso and FIGC president Gabriele Gravina pose during the press conference at Hotel Parco dei Principi on June 19, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) “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,” said Gravina (via La Gazzetta dello Sport ). He continued: “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 fact that Italy’s senior men’s side failed to qualify for the World Cup twice during Gravina’s FIGC Presidency, he doesn’t believe that his entire tenure should be classed as a failure.
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