Gravina: 'I Asked Gattuso and Buffon to Stay with Italy'

FIGC President Gabriele Gravina confirmed he asked Gennaro Gattuso and Gigi Buffon to remain part of the Italy national team's coaching staff. He also stated his intention not to resign, despite the national team's failure to qualify for another World Cup.

Gravina attended the match in Zenica alongside Luigi Buonfiglio, President of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), and UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin. Italy initially took the lead with a goal from Moise Kean. However, in the 41st minute, Alessandro Bastoni received a red card for a last-man foul, and Bosnia and Herzegovina equalized through a Haris Tabakovic tap-in. After a goalless extra time, during which both teams had chances, Italy lost in a penalty shootout when Francesco Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante missed their attempts.

Gravina Resists Calls for Immediate Overhaul

"Our emotional state is quite evident, especially considering how the result unfolded," Gravina stated at a press conference. "Allow me to commend the lads, who have made significant progress over the last few months. Many of you might not have fully appreciated the atmosphere created recently. We wanted to bring joy to our fans, and I want to praise Rino Gattuso. He is an excellent coach, and I asked him, along with Gigi Buffon, to stay at the helm of this team."

Gravina was present in the locker room after the match during Gattuso's address to the players. "You missed a moment of great unity in the locker room. You all saw the game; the players were heroic given the circumstances. After that, I understand that evaluations need to be made."

Calls for Gravina's resignation had already emerged after Italy's disappointing results. Can he truly hold onto his position after missing a third consecutive World Cup? "There is a Federal Council; I have already decided to convene a meeting next week, and that is when evaluations will take place. I understand that people will call for my resignation, but there is an appropriate forum for that. Next week, we will conduct a much deeper analysis of the situation, because the questions you ask require a response in the right place. The FIGC must decide how to select and build its team. We can only work with what is available to us in the league."

Gravina is expected to call for immediate elections for a new President of the Football Federation.

During the match, some controversies arose: while Bastoni's red card was undeniable, a similar situation involving Marco Palestra in extra time only resulted in a yellow card. Italian media also highlighted a potential handball by Edin Dzeko in the build-up to the equalizer. "There were some decisions and interpretations of the rules that left us somewhat puzzled," Gravina replied. "There were incidents that might have warranted further investigation."