Overview
- Gattuso and the Italian federation agreed Friday to end his contract by mutual consent after the World Cup playoff loss to Bosnia, with the coach saying he left with “pain in the heart.”
- FIGC president Gabriele Gravina resigned Thursday and scheduled an extraordinary presidential election for June 22 in Rome, leaving a caretaker administration in place until a successor is chosen.
- Gianluigi Buffon also stepped down as head of delegation, saying he had wanted to resign “a minute after” the Bosnia match but waited until Gravina left to formalize his decision.
- The next president will pick the new coach, and Italian media report candidates under discussion for both roles, with names such as Giovanni Malagò, Giancarlo Abete, Matteo Marani and Demetrio Albertini for FIGC, and Roberto Mancini, Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri and others for the bench.
- Debate has shifted to structural fixes as figures like Umberto Calcagno and Roberto Donadoni press for better youth development, incentives to play Italian talent, and investment in infrastructure, while the federation must also cover June friendlies with an interim coach and keep Euro 2032 preparations on track.