The fallout from Italy’s shock elimination at the hands of Bosnia and Herzegovina has officially begun. On Thursday, both Italian Football Federation (FIGC) President Gabriele Gravina and delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon submitted their resignations. Manager Gennaro Gattuso is now also widely expected to vacate his position.
Shortly after the federation confirmed Gravina’s departure, Buffon took to Instagram to announce he was stepping aside as the national team’s head of delegation. “Now that President Gravina has decided to step down, I feel free to perform what I consider a responsible act… The main objective was to lead Italy back to the World Cup. And we did not achieve it,” Buffon wrote in his farewell letter.
According to Italian insider Fabrizio Romano, Gattuso is expected to follow suit, despite initial indications from Gravina earlier this week that the federation wanted him to stay. The double resignation of the top brass has triggered a total restructuring of the Italian soccer hierarchy.
Who could replace Gattuso? Potential candidates emerging
While Gattuso’s departure has not been officially confirmed, Italian media outlets are already circulating names for a potential successor. Two high-profile former managers lead the shortlist:
Gennaro Gattuso during Italy’s game vs Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Getty Images)
- Roberto Mancini: The current Al Sadd manager led the Azzurri from 2018 to 2023. While his tenure included the disappointment of missing the 2022 World Cup after a loss to North Macedonia, he famously masterminded Italy’s second-ever UEFA Euro title in the 2020 edition (played in 2021).
- Antonio Conte: Currently at the helm of Napoli, Conte previously managed the national team from 2014 to 2016. Under his guidance, Italy reached the Euro 2016 quarterfinals, where they were narrowly eliminated by Germany in a penalty shootout.
Gattuso’s record with Italy
Gattuso took over as Italy’s head coach in June 2025, stepping in for Luciano Spalletti following a string of poor results during the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. The legendary former AC Milan midfielder leaves behind a brief but statistically strong record.
In his eight World Cup Qualifying matches at the helm, Gattuso led the Azzurri to six wins, one loss, and one draw (1-1 vs Bosnia that led to the decisive penalty shootout defeat).
Despite what was a largely positive tenure on paper, the failure to meet the primary objective—securing a spot in the 2026 World Cup—has placed his future in doubt.
