Lazio’s president, Claudio Lotito, has taken the extraordinary step of launching a petition within the Italian Senate. The petition calls for the resignation of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina, in the wake of Italy’s crushing elimination from the World Cup playoffs at the hands of Bosnia, decided by penalties.
Reports indicate that Lotito, who also serves as a Forza Italia senator, is leveraging his political platform to intensify pressure on Gravina. Gravina has, to date, shown no sign of intending to step down, despite overseeing Italy’s third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup.
The match in Zenica concluded with a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes. Italy was reduced to ten men for the majority of the game following Alessandro Bastoni’s red card in the first half. With no further goals scored during extra time, the tie proceeded to a penalty shootout, where Italy was ultimately knocked out of the competition.
Gravina Under Intense Pressure as FIGC Chief Amid Calls for Resignation
The political pressure on Gravina has now become substantial.
The Sports Minister has already publicly urged Gravina to resign. In response, the FIGC president has scheduled an emergency meeting for tomorrow afternoon in Rome, bringing together representatives from Serie A, Serie B, Serie C, amateur leagues, and coaches’ and players’ associations. This meeting aims to assess the situation before a full Federal Council meeting slated for next week.
Outside the FIGC headquarters, the atmosphere has turned hostile, with protesters reportedly pelting the building with eggs following the recent match outcome.
Gravina, who was recently re-elected unopposed despite Italy’s two previous World Cup absences, is now confronting the most significant crisis of his tenure. With Lotito actively galvanizing political opposition from within the Senate itself, the demands for Gravina’s removal are growing undeniably difficult to disregard.
