Gabriele Gravina, the former president of the FIGC, has refuted the widespread opinion that Italian football is in irreversible decline. He argues that judging the sport’s health solely on its inability to qualify for the World Cup is an oversimplification and inaccurate.
During a book presentation in Rome, Gravina acknowledged the disappointment of missing a third consecutive World Cup but rejected the harshest criticisms leveled against the Italian game. He stated, “I don’t agree that Italian football has reached its lowest point. It’s a mistake to evaluate our football based on a single outcome; we need to stop being hypocritical about this.”
Gravina highlights youth achievements and the Mancini era as proof of Italian football’s enduring foundations.
Gravina drew attention to a broader perspective that is often overlooked amidst the post-World Cup despair. He remarked, “From 2018, under Mancini, Italy achieved 37 consecutive positive results and won the European Championship in 2021; these are exceptional achievements. Before 2018, our youth national teams rarely reached finals. Today, the U17s and U19s are winning European Championships.”
Regarding the crucial missed opportunities in qualification, Gravina was forthright. “Kean and Pio Esposito missed chances that could have been decisive, and that’s why we didn’t qualify,” he admitted. “But if they had scored? We would have reopened all the churches and magically solved every problem in Italian football.”
Looking ahead, Gravina emphasized the need for structural reforms and increased investment. He offered his best wishes to the incoming FIGC president, Giovanni Malagò, with a specific plea: “It’s unacceptable for a reform to be blocked because 3% disagree. It’s anti-democratic and unreasonable. I couldn’t change it, but I hope he will.”
