Italy Names New Football Chief After Third Consecutive World Cup Misses

By Adegboyega Adeleye

Italy’s football federation elected Giovanni Malago as its new president after the nation failed to qualify for a third straight FIFA World Cup. The former Olympic chief will guide the four‑time world champions through one of the deepest crises in their history.

On Monday, Malago won the FIGC presidency, securing 68.58 % of the vote against Giancarlo Abete at the federation’s assembly in Rome.

The 67‑year‑old businessman and former futsal player takes over from Gabriele Gravina, who stepped down following Italy’s unexpected World Cup qualifying exit in April—ending the Azzurri’s unprecedented absence from the sport’s premier event.

Italy, champions in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006, has now missed three successive World Cups, sparking new worries about the national team’s condition and the country’s player‑development framework.

Malago recognised the magnitude of the challenge confronting Italian football.

“The Football Federation must not just administer; it must be a source of inspiration. It is the largest social institution in the country, and not just in terms of numbers,” he said.

“Our roots must not be a source of nostalgia or a burden; we must turn them into an incentive to look toward a new season — one that is courageous, victorious, humble yet ambitious.”

His appointment comes at a pivotal time for Italian football, as the federation seeks a new direction following a disastrous World Cup qualifying campaign that drew widespread criticism from supporters, politicians and former players.

The qualification failure led to the resignation of head coach Gennaro Gattuso, and former goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon also stepped down as head of the national team delegation.

Malago’s immediate priorities are to appoint a new national team coach, reform youth‑development structures, and oversee preparations for Euro 2032, which Italy will co‑host with Turkey.

Calls for major reform had intensified before the latest World Cup disappointment, with prominent figures such as Roberto Baggio warning that Italy’s talent‑development system was no longer producing enough elite players.