Ceferin defends FIGC boss Gravina![\"Ceferin](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bcce9cfc6b391175a598343420c9d5b7.jpeg\"\/)
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Ceferin defends FIGC boss Gravina<\/p>\n
Despite the mounting political pressure on FIGC president Gabriele Gravina, Ceferin has come to the defence of his counterpart. Many in Italy, including sport minister Andrea Abodi, have called for a total overhaul of the federation’s leadership following the playoff defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/a>. Ceferin, however, believes the blame lies elsewhere.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n “It is absolutely not Gabriele’s fault and I wouldn’t dare attack either the players or the coach,” Ceferin added. “When I was president of the Slovenian FA I always told the coach: ‘If you win, you and the players will be the heroes. If you lose, the blame will fall on us’.” He described Gravina as a “gentleman who loves football” and suggested that finding a replacement of his calibre would be a significant challenge for the Italian game.<\/p>\n National outcry and political pressure<\/p>\n The failure to qualify for a third straight World Cup has triggered a civil war within the Italian sporting landscape. Abodi has been vocal in demanding a renewal of the FIGC leadership<\/a>, claiming it is “objectively unfair to deny one\u2019s own responsibility” for the catastrophe. The fallout has reached the highest levels of government, with formal petitions being launched to force resignations.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Ceferin addressed this hostile environment, noting: “It makes me angry and sad that there are people who are secretly waiting for something to go wrong then to jump out and start criticizing. They’re not supporting Italy, they’re supporting themselves.<\/p>\n “Gabriele is my first vice president and is very important to me. But the greatest loss would be to the FIGC. It won’t be easy to find a gentleman who loves football and Italy so much. But I’m not so naive as to believe that self-centred people, just waiting for something to go wrong, would think about it. They don’t care.”<\/p>\n Rebuilding after the Bosnia disaster Rebuilding after the Bosnia disaster<\/p>\n![\"Rebuilding](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ac75da8c1c1ebba13061e2a699e4f7a7.jpeg\"\/)
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