Who is to blame for the Azzurri’s absence from the World Cup?
Gabriele Gravina, president of the Italian Football Federation, has defended Gennaro Gattuso, calling him “a good manager who has given Italy a spirit”, but acknowledged that certain players “did not perform as expected” in the World Cup play-offs.
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Gravina had announced his resignation after Italy failed to reach the 2026 World Cup, yet he stayed on to handle the federation’s daily operations until 22 June, when a new president will be elected.
Gattuso replaced Luciano Spalletti as Italy boss in June 2025 but could not guide the Azzurri to the World Cup.
Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Gravina said: “Gattuso is a good coach and a wonderful person, and despite the limited time available for training, he managed to instil a spirit in the team. It wasn’t enough, and he was the first to apologise.”
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“On paper we were stronger than Northern Ireland and Bosnia. I was with the squad every day, and the players promised to give everything. They did, but some were carrying knocks, while others, though in peak form, simply didn’t deliver.”
Gianluigi Buffon has also stepped down as manager of the Azzurri, but Gravina is convinced the former goalkeeper has a promising future in coaching.
“I brought Buffon into the national set-up because I see a bright managerial future for him,” Gravano added.
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“In recent years he has trained and developed a great deal, and now it is up to him to make the best choices for his future.”
Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti, who guided the Azzurri from September 2023 until last June, has suggested including one Under-19 player in every Serie A starting line-up, though such a rule cannot be imposed by law.
Gravina concluded by saying: “Unfortunately, we cannot implement that… We can only try through an incentive scheme for Italian youth academies. One example could be tax breaks, but the government has never been willing to grant them.”
Read also: The unveiling of the Italy national team coach