The disappointment of not participating in the World Cup, which has been missing since 2014, does not lead to the FIGC president taking a step back. At least for now. But the game on the future of Italian football opens now…
No resignation, not in the heat of the moment. Gabriele Gravina under siege he chooses to return to Italy as president of the FIGC and to play the political game there on the future of Italian football. He appears at a press conference in Zenica alongside Gattuso when the wind of the resignation request is blowing strong outside. His speech starts from the coach and the technical events and then gets to the heart of the reasoning. And they are words that cause discussion.
“There are evaluations to be made. As far as the political side is concerned, there is a designated body which is the federal council which I asked to convene for next week – says Gravina -. I understand the exercise of requesting resignation, to which I have become accustomed in recent times, but the evaluations are up to the board and we will make them within the board”. Which means going to the count in a context in which, until the eve of the final with Bosnia, he could count on armored numbers. Now who knows. It will take a few days to count.
In fact, Via Allegri’s number one has made his mandate available to the members, the same ones who re-elected him almost by acclamation for the last mandate of his career. Critics will complain about the lack of an immediate step back, others will sharpen their weapons. “Referees? I don’t feel like talking about it even if there is something that isn’t convincing. There is a world that needs to reflect and the question of why Italy isn’t going to the World Cup deserves an answer that must be the result of broad and in-depth reflection. We will dedicate ourselves to that reflection and then everyone will draw their own conclusions.”
A man in the center of the crosshairs, but also a man who attacks. The system it represents, first of all: “Like the other national teams, we cannot build the team: we summarize what is made available by the championship, extensive reflection and redesign will be needed.” And then politics, which at the last penalty was unleashed in asking for a step backwards but, says the president, should answer the question of what measure it has taken to help the entire system.
The blow of the third consecutive failure to qualify is impossible to digest. Coach Gattuso refuses any reasoning about his future, he who had rushed to Italy’s bedside to try to save what could be saved and who fell in the last pass. Gravina takes care of speaking for him: “I have to congratulate Rino Gattuso. He’s a great coach. I asked him and Gigi to remain in the technical guidance of these guys.” Rino, are you staying? “You don’t know me enough, right now it hurts and I don’t care about my future.”
Bitter too Gigi Buffon: “Until June it is correct and necessary to give your availability to the FIGC which has placed its trust in you. If you have seen that something is improving I am pleased, but the biggest objective was to go to the World Cup and not being able to do so hurts and risks making people think in a less than lucid way.” Therefore, we will talk about it again at the end of the season also for the man who chose Gattuso and who had worked personally to bring Italy to the States, breaking the curse that has lasted since 2014.
