Italian Football Federation chief Gabriele Gravina has resigned from his post after the national team failed to qualify for the World cup for the third time in a row.
One of the most glittering football nations historically, the Azzurri could not fend off Bosnia and Herzogovina in a play-off final, losing on penalties after surrendering an early lead.
It means Italy’s wait for a first World Cup appearance since 2014 will go on for at least another four years, with Bosnia serving up this latest humiliation for the four-time winners.
Italy sports minister Andrea Abodi had called for a change in leadership of the country’s football federation (FIGC) after Gravina oversaw two sets of disappointing World Cup qualifiers, and he has now bowed to the political pressure and left his role.
Following Gravina’s departure, Gennaro Gattuso is expected to similarly be ousted as manager, who replaced Luciano Spalletti early in the qualification campaign after defeat to Norway.
That is because Gattuso is now without one of his key supporters, with Gravina saying after the defeat to Bosnia that he had asked the former AC Milan midfielder to stay on.
He said: "I want to congratulate Rino Gattuso. He is a great coach, I asked him to stay at the helm with these boys. There is little to comment, the coach called them heroic. Then, I understand there are several evaluations to be made."
Gattuso, meanwhile, had refused to speak about his future after Italy’s World Cup failure.
"Today talking about my future is not important, it was important to go to the World Cup," he said. "We hold onto this performance, but it hurts and I'm sorry.”
More to follow.
