Italy’s outgoing football chief Gabriele Gravina called on Wednesday for gambling revenue to be diverted to youth development and infrastructure to revive a sport in deep crisis after the national team failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive year.
The proposals from Gravina, who resigned as head of the federation (FIGC) on April 2, are aimed at finding a way out of the historic low point for the four-time World Cup winner, which has sharpened criticism of the entire Italian football system.
Gravina argued that the Azzurri’s repeated sporting failures are the result of long-term structural weaknesses and not short-term mistakes. His report suggested channeling some of the rich gambling revenue associated with the sport into grassroots programs and academies, as well as much-needed investment in new or improved football arenas.
He also proposed scrapping the ban on gambling advertising and sponsorship introduced in 2018, in a bid to curb gambling addiction in a country that is home to Europe’s largest gambling market.
According to the FIGC report, a major problem is the marginal role played by Italians in the top flight Serie A, where foreigners account for around 68 percent of minutes played, one of the highest percentages in Europe.
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The path for younger players is even narrower, with Italian under-21 players accounting for less than 2 percent of total playing time in Serie A.
To reverse the trend, the federation proposed financial incentives for clubs using young and Italian players, stronger investments in youth academies and faster approval processes for new or redeveloped stadiums.
The technical decline is exacerbated by a fragile ‘financial model’, the FIGC warned. Professional Italian football loses more than 700 million euros ($818.37 million) a year, with high debts and a history of clubs going bankrupt or being excluded from competitions.
The report concluded that sustainable recovery would require coordinated action across the sport, warning that leadership changes or isolated reforms alone would not be sufficient to restore Italian football’s competitiveness.
Gravina’s successor will be elected in June.
After Italy’s shocking defeat against Bosnia, national coach Gennaro Gattuso and team delegation head Gianluigi Buffon also resigned.
Published on April 8, 2026
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