Italian football has plunged deeper into crisis following the resignation of Gabriele Gravina and a stark warning from Aleksander Ceferin that the country could lose its role as co-host of Euro 2032.
Gravina stepped down during an emergency meeting of the Italian Football Federation general council, just two days after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time, losing on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Pressure had been mounting, with sports minister Andrea Abodi calling for a leadership overhaul.
His departure was quickly followed by Gianluigi Buffon, who also resigned. Attention now turns to head coach Gennaro Gattuso, whose tenure appears likely to end after failing to secure World Cup qualification. Gattuso had replaced Luciano Spalletti in June 2025.
A new federation president is expected to be elected in June, but the incoming leadership faces serious structural challenges. Italy is scheduled to co-host Euro 2032 with Turkey, yet concerns over outdated stadium infrastructure have intensified.
Ceferin made it clear that hosting rights are not guaranteed if improvements are not made. “Euro 2032 will take place, but if the infrastructure in Italy is not ready, the tournament will not be held there.” He criticized the state of facilities, describing them as among the worst in Europe.
Italy must select five host stadiums by October from an initial list of 11 cities. Currently, only Allianz Stadium meets UEFA requirements. Planned upgrades to San Siro, Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, and Stadio Artemio Franchi, along with a proposed new stadium in Rome, are racing against time, with construction needing to begin by March 2027.
Ceferin also pointed to deeper systemic issues, highlighting tensions between football governance and politics in Italy. Despite his close relationship with Gravina, who has served as UEFA’s first vice-president, he emphasized that the country’s problems go far beyond one individual.
Gravina, who became president in 2018 and oversaw Italy’s triumph at UEFA Euro 2020, acknowledged the scale of the crisis after the latest defeat, stating that Italian football requires a complete redesign.
