Gravina arrived at the FIGC headquarters in Rome in the morning, and in the early afternoon, a decisive meeting with the board took place.
The meeting, initially conceived as a moment of analysis on the defeat against Bosnia, turned into a crucial discussion to decide the future of the federal presidency.
In the meeting, Gravina spoke with the presidents of Serie A, Serie B and Lega Pro, and announced his final decision.
He has thus put an end to his era, which began in 2018, and officially opened a new chapter in the management of Italian football.
The federal council scheduled for next week will not be convened: the elections for new positions will be held on the 22nd of June in Rome.
Official FIGC statement
Today, a meeting was held at the FIGC headquarters in Rome involving President Gabriele Gravina and the presidents of the various federations’ branches.
At the start of the meeting, Gravina informed the head representatives of Serie A, Ezio Maria Simonelli; Serie B, Paolo Bedin; Lega Pro, Matteo Marani; National Amateur League, Giancarlo Abete; the Italian Footballers’ Association, Umberto Calcagno; and the Italian Football Coaches’ Association, Renzo Ulivieri, that he has resigned from the post he had held since February 2025 and has called for the FIGC’s Extraordinary Elective Assembly on June 22 in Rome.
The date has been set in full compliance with the federation’s statutes and will ensure that the new governance can complete the registration procedures for the upcoming professional championships.
"During the meeting, Gravina also thanked the federation bodies for publicly and privately demonstrating their support, and informed the presidents that he is willing to appear on April 8 at 11:00 CEST before the VII Committee on Culture, Science, and Education of the Chamber of Deputies to report on the state of Italian football.
"It is here that President Gravina will present, as fully and comprehensively as possible, a report on the strengths and weaknesses of the sport, also addressing some of the issues already discussed during the press conference held after the national team’s match in Zenica on Tuesday, 31 March.
In relation to this, Gravina expressed his regret over how his comments on the difference between amateur and professional sports had been interpreted, as they were never meant to be offensive towards any discipline. Instead, they were in reference to the different internal and external regulations, for example, the presence in the governance of some federations of leagues with their own autonomy and the corporate nature of professional football clubs, which must comply with national and international legislation, unlike amateur clubs."
Buffon bows out
Buffon, former Italy goalkeeper and part of the 2006 World Cup-winning side, wrote on Instagram that he had initially offered his resignation immediately after the loss to Bosnia, but had been asked to take time to reflect.
"Now that president Gravina has chosen to take a step back, I feel free to do what I feel is an act of responsibility," Buffon wrote.
"Because, even in the sincere conviction that I have built so much on a spirit and group level with Rino Gattuso and all the collaborators, in a very short time at the disposal of the national team, the main objective was to bring Italy back to the World Cup.
"We didn't succeed. It's fair to leave it to those who will come after, the freedom to choose the figure they think is best to play my role."
Social media storm
Gravina had also come in for heavy criticism for comments he made after the Bosnia defeat, when asked why Italy excelled in other disciplines but not in football.
In his response, Gravina said that football is a professional sport, while the others are amateur, which caused outrage, with many Italian athletes taking to social media.
Irma Testa, the first female boxer to represent Italy at the Olympics and bronze medallist in 2020, wrote on Instagram that 'we are the real professionals' and the FIGC statement on Thursday said that Gravina expressed regret over the interpretation of his remarks.
Gravina explained that his comments referred to the presence within some federations of leagues with their own autonomy and the corporate nature of professional clubs which must comply with national and international legislation.
After Gravina and Buffon's resignations, Italy manager Gennaro Gattuso's position is also under question, with his contract ending in June. Media reports have linked Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri as possible replacements.