Former FIGC president Gravina: ‘I don’t think Italian football has hit rock bottom’ | OneFootball

Gabriele Gravina has pushed back against the prevailing narrative that Italian football is in terminal decline, insisting that judging the national game solely on World Cup qualification failures is both reductive and inaccurate.

Speaking at the presentation of Ivan Zazzaroni’s book in Rome, with quotes via gianlucadimarzio.com, the former FIGC president acknowledged the pain of a third consecutive World Cup absence but refused to accept the most damning verdicts being levelled at the Italian game.

“I don’t agree that Italian football has reached its lowest point,” he said. “Evaluating our football based on a single result is a mistake, we need to stop being hypocritical about this.”

ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – MARCH 31: (L-R) President of CONI Luciano Buonfiglio, President of FIGC Gabriele Gravina and UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin look on prior the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)

Gravina points to youth success and Mancini era as evidence Italian football retains its foundations

Gravina pointed to the broader context that often goes unacknowledged in the post-Mondiale gloom.

“From 2018, with Mancini, Italy achieved 37 consecutive positive results and won the European Championship in 2021, these are extraordinary results,” he said.

“Before 2018 the youth national teams never reached finals. Today the Under-17s win the European Championship, as do the Under-19s.”

On the specific moments that proved costly in qualification, Gravina was equally candid. “Kean and Pio Esposito missed goals that could have been decisive and that is why we stayed out,” he said.

“But if they had scored? We would have reopened all the oratorios and magically solved every problem in Italian football.”

On the path forward, Gravina called for structural reform and greater investment, wishing incoming FIGC president Giovanni Malagò well, with one specific request.

“It is not possible that a reform gets blocked if 3% disagree,” he said. “It is anti-democratic and contrary to any sense of reasonableness. I did not manage to change it, I hope he does.”