What's next for Italy? Why the new soccer federation president matters more than the new coach

The Italian soccer federation will appoint a new president but more things need to change

Italian soccer is undergoing one of the biggest shake-ups in its history. Two days after the historical disappointment of the UEFA playoff final loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina and the failure to qualify for the third World Cup in a row, the president of the Italian soccer federation (FIGC) Gabriele Gravina stepped down from his role, following pressure coming from the whole environment. He was followed by Gianluigi Buffon, the head of the delegation, and lastly Gennaro Gattuso, the manager. It is now entering a new phase that will lead to the appointment of a new president and a new coach in the coming months, something the country has  unfortunately experienced more than once over the past two decades.

Right after the match, which was lost on penalties on Tuesday, Gravina denied the possibility of stepping down from his role as president of the FIGC, saying that only the federal assembly could make such decision about his future, something that increased the anger and the frustration of the country. After two days, Gravina stepped down and announced new elections on June 22. In both 2014 and 2018, two former FIGC presidents stepped down after disappointing World Cup campaigns. Giancarlo Abete in 2014 and Carlo Tavecchio in 2017, following Italy's first missed qualification since 1958. Gabriele Gravina did not make the same decision in 2022, when Roberto Mancini's Italy lost the playoff semifinal against North Macedonia a few months after winning the 2020 UEFA Euro, played in the summer of 2021. 

Who can be named as the new president? 

The top priority of the federation is to appoint a new president, something that will be determined by the federal assembly. The FIGC president is elected by a federal assembly made up of different components of Italian soccer, each with a fixed voting weight defined by the statutes. It includes the professional leagues Lega Serie A, Lega Serie B, and Lega Pro, as well as the non-professional sector represented by the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti, which holds the largest share. They are joined by the players' union (Associazione Italiana Calciatori), the coaches' association (Associazione Italiana Allenatori Calcio), and the referees (Associazione Italiana Arbitri). Together, these groups vote in the assembly, and their combined weighted votes determine the president.

This is why it's also a political role, and the Italian government led by Giorgia Meloni and the sport minister Andrea Abodi (the former head of the Lega Serie B) might have their influence in the coming weeks, as the status of Italian soccer is not just a matter of the fans, but also the image of the country. 

The main candidate, as of now, to replace Gravina is Giovanni Malagò, the former president of CONI, the Italian Olympic Committee, who led the Azzurri until last year before becoming the president of the most recent winter Olympic Games, Milano Cortina 2026. He might be named by the federal assembly, but also as a special commissioner by the Italian government, a procedure that would avoid the elections and probably give more power to the President. There are multiple names floating around in reports, such as former AC Milan captain and director Paolo Maldini or former FIGC president Giancarlo Abete, but the main question will be if the Italian government will make this call or not. 

Who can become the new Italy manager? 

The new president will need to make some urgent calls and make some decisions that weren't made over the past years, starting from a long-term vision and addressing the infrastructure that is lacking around the country. And then there is the Azzurri head coach, probably the last issue he needs to tackle right now. Current Under-21 head coach Silvio Baldini will take over the Italian national team job until the summer, according to multiple reports, as the new president will make the decision regarding the new coach. Massimiliano Allegri and Antonio Conte emerged as the early candidates for the job, but it's too early to understand who can become the new manager as the new president needs to be elected first. Today, the priority of Italian soccer is to think about a long-term vision, work with the government and the clubs to make the right decisions in the shortest time possible. There is no more time to lose, but believing, as they have in the past, that a new manager alone can fix everything would be a costly mistake.