Resigned Italian FA President Publishes Detailed Football Reform Report
Gabriele Gravina, the recently resigned president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), has unveiled a detailed report outlining his proposals for reforming the Italian football system. This move comes after the cancellation of a scheduled hearing before the Seventh Committee for Culture, Science, and Education in the Italian Chamber of Deputies, which was a direct consequence of his resignation.
Gravina clarified that his decision to publish the report aims to continue contributing to the development of the sport and stimulate public debate. He emphasized the critical need to address the structural shortcomings that have led to the decline of Italian football.
In his diagnosis of the financial and institutional crises, Gravina's document stressed the imperative to clarify the true responsibilities of the Federation, leagues, clubs, and official institutions. He pointed out that Italian professional clubs collectively incur annual losses exceeding 730 million euros, while commissions paid to agents reached a record 300 million euros in 2025. Gravina stated: "If we want the best for Italian football as a comprehensive sports movement, it is essential to clarify the actual powers of the Federation, leagues, and institutions." He considers this clarity a fundamental pillar for tackling the financial deficit.
Turning to technical aspects, the report highlighted a declining reliance on young talent. The Italian Serie A ranks 49th globally out of 50 leagues in terms of the percentage of minutes played by players under 21 eligible for the Italian national team, which stands at a mere 1.9%. Gravina also criticized Legislative Decree No. 36/2021, which abolished the "sports bond," describing its repercussions as devastating for football's grassroots. Commenting on the cancellation of the parliamentary session, Gravina remarked: "The appointment was unfortunately canceled the day after my resignation, as if the problems of the football movement had automatically been resolved simply by my departure." He affirmed his refusal to evade criticism or public debate.
Procedurally, Gravina will remain in his position to manage ordinary affairs until June 22, the scheduled date for the extraordinary electoral general assembly. The publication of this document follows a previous request from the parliamentary committee to hear his testimony after the Italian national team's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, thereby placing the report within the context of efforts to diagnose the major setbacks experienced by Italian football in recent years.
