Gabriele Gravina resignation FIGC follows Italy’s World Cup qualification failure, prompting leadership change and an emergency election
Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina has resigned following Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time, marking a significant turning point for the country’s football leadership amid mounting public and political pressure.
The Gabriele Gravina resignation FIGC came after Italy suffered a defeat on penalties against Bosnia and Herzegovina in a playoff match on Tuesday, a result that ended the national team’s hopes of reaching the tournament.
Gravina, who had led the federation since 2018, had faced calls from government officials to step down in the wake of the setback.
An extraordinary assembly has been scheduled for June 22 to elect a new federation president, as the FIGC moves to stabilise its leadership structure.
Gravina, meanwhile, has indicated his willingness to appear before a parliamentary committee on April 8 to present an update on the condition of Italian football, according to an official statement.
Italy’s absence from the World Cup continues a worrying trend for the four-time champions, who last appeared at the tournament in 2014.
Since their triumph in 2006, the national side has managed only one victory at the finals, highlighting a prolonged period of underperformance on the global stage.
Despite recent struggles, Italy enjoyed a notable high in international competition with its unexpected triumph at Euro 2020, which was held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
That victory offered a brief resurgence for the team, but subsequent qualification failures have renewed scrutiny of the country’s football system.
Gravina’s resignation is expected to trigger a broader review of governance and development within Italian football, as stakeholders look to restore competitiveness and rebuild confidence ahead of future international competitions.
Fresh concerns have emerged over compliance with a court order issued by the High Court of Kano State on April 8, 2026, restraining key parties—including the Honourable Minister of Education, the Kano State Ministry of Land and Physical Planning, the Kano State Urban Development Authority, and Pluck Global Company Limited—from further actions pending the determination of the matter before the court.
Findings indicate that while all parties—except the concessionaire, Pluck Global Company Limited—were duly served within two days of the order, significant challenges were encountered in effecting service on the company, raising troubling questions about its corporate traceability and regulatory vetting.
A review of the company’s records filed with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed addresses that could not be verified as functional business locations. Notably, documentation submitted to Federal Government College (FGC), Kano, dated June 20, 2024, listed two addresses: 8B, Lalupon Street, off Keffi Street, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, as its head office, and 3 Bargery Road, Bompai, Kano, as its branch office.
However, a physical visit to the Ikoyi address revealed that the entire property is occupied by a company identified as Golden Alchemy, whose staff категорically denied any knowledge of, or shared occupancy with, Pluck Global Company Limited.
Efforts to trace the Kano address yielded even more unsettling findings. The location—a locked duplex—showed no visible signs of commercial activity. Neighbours, while reluctant to speak on record, alluded to irregular movements at odd hours, casting further doubt on the legitimacy of the premises as a corporate office.
In a twist, after multiple attempts to establish contact, an individual purportedly representing the company surfaced in Kano and agreed to receive and acknowledge the court order on April 11, 2026, at approximately 6:00 pm. Curiously, the Ikoyi address—already discredited—was again listed as the company’s official address in the acknowledgment.
These developments raise critical questions regarding due diligence and Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols on the part of the Federal Ministry of Education. They also cast a spotlight on the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), should a concession agreement indeed have been executed with the company. Stakeholders say it would be instructive to review the addresses contained in all official correspondences and contractual documents linked to the transaction.
Meanwhile, a visit to the premises of Federal Government College, Kano, revealed ongoing construction activity, with workers observed excavating foundations. When approached, the workers declined to disclose the authority under which they were operating—despite the subsistence of a court order restraining further action.
Notably, a previously installed project billboard bearing the insignia of the school authorities and the Federal Ministry of Education had been removed. Sources within the institution suggest that the directive for its removal may have emanated from the Ministry following receipt of the court order.
The unfolding situation presents a complex mix of legal, regulatory, and accountability issues—raising the spectre of possible non-compliance with judicial directives, as well as deeper concerns about transparency in public-private concession arrangements.
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