'It doesn't end with me' - Resigning Italian FA president releases 11-page manifesto blasting 'structural' failures of nation's game in wake of World Cup fiasco

Despite stepping down following the devastating failure to reach the World Cup via the qualifying play-offs, Gravina remains in charge for ordinary administration until a successor is elected on June 22. In a move that has sent shockwaves through the Italian game, he released the report he was originally scheduled to present to the Italian parliament, claiming the nation's footballing issues are rooted in deep-seated flaws rather than individual errors.

“The critical issues of Italian football have been known for years and highlighted in numerous official documents, differing only in the statistical data that continue to worsen, confirming that these are largely structural deficiencies,” Gravina stated. He went on to highlight a disconnect between governing bodies, adding: “If we truly want what is best for Italian football as a whole sporting movement, it is necessary to clarify the actual responsibilities of the Federation, the Leagues and public institutions. Too many inaccuracies, and at times outright falsehoods, fuel the search for the culprit, but above all, spread misconceptions.”

The report paints a worrying picture of the technical standards in Serie A compared to other elite European leagues. Gravina pointed out that Italy currently ranks 49th out of 50 monitored leagues for the percentage of minutes played by U21 players eligible for the national team, which stands at a dismal 1.9%. The data also suggests that the Italian top flight is physically lagging behind, with the report noting that “Serie A is not among the top 10 leagues for metres covered in a sprint.”

The speed of the game remains a primary concern for the outgoing president, who highlighted that "the average ball speed (7.6 m/s) is much lower than the Champions League average (10.4) and that of other major European leagues (9.2)." While many fans have called for quotas on foreign players, Gravina labels this "impossible" as it would "violate principles of free movement of workers, which applies to football as a professional sport."

Gravina’s manifesto also took aim at the lack of support from the Italian government, comparing the treatment of football to other sporting ventures. He complained that while events like the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and the Mediterranean Games in Taranto "received multi-billion funding," the football federation has not received similar financial allocations, not even for the 2032 Euros. These financial hurdles, he argues, have prevented necessary infrastructure projects from taking flight.

In his view, success has only been found where the FIGC has total control. “In my view, it is no coincidence that in areas of direct and exclusive federal responsibility (social and environmental sustainability, youth and school projects, development and training programs for national youth teams, to name a few), significant results have been achieved. Unlike in areas where the interests of the various stakeholders, and their respective autonomies, overlap to such an extent that they effectively paralyse the system,” he explained in the document.

The final section of the report outlines a series of radical proposals Gravina believes are necessary to save the Italian game. These include the reintroduction of the "Growth Decree" tax regime for foreign professionals and the allocation of a percentage of betting revenues toward youth development and infrastructure. He also called for the lifting of the ban on betting advertisements and a total overhaul of the league structures across Serie A, B, C and D.

Ultimately, Gravina warned that his departure alone would not fix the underlying problems. He concluded: “Without this strong and unanimous willingness to prioritise the common good over the defence of individual positions, and with politics creating the conditions and enabling the necessary tools for action, no single individual can achieve a true and complete revival of Italian football.” The ball is now firmly in the court of the Italian authorities as the hunt for his replacement continues.