After yet another World Cup heartbreak, the men in charge of the Italian national team, including Gianluigi Buffon, could pay the price.
The four-time World Cup winner had already missed the last two editions of the tournament due to play-off failures, and they have now suffered the same fate for the third straight time.
After beating Northern Ireland in the semi-final last Thursday, Italy set up a meeting in the final against Bosnia. Moise Kean’s opener put them on the right track, but Alessandro Bastoni’s red card left them with a man down as early as the 40th minute.
The visitors tried to cling onto their slim lead, but Haris Tabakovic scored the equaliser in the 79th minute. The tie had to be settled by penalty shootouts, and the home side comfortably prevailed 4-1.
Gianluigi Buffon discusses his future with Italy after World Cup heartbreak
After the contest, Buffon, who acts as the Delegation Chief in the Italian national team, revealed that he and Gennaro Gattuso’s staff plan to remain until June, while placing their fate in the FIGC’s hands.
“A delicate moment. We need to take the necessary time to make the right assessments,” said the legendary Juventus goalkeeper during the post-match press conference via IlBianconero.
“The sporting season ends in June, so June will be the time to make myself available to those who have placed their trust in me.
“I can tell you that we’re here until June; after that, we’ll see about the rest.”
After the vastly disappointing outcome, the voices calling for the resignation of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina only grew louder.
The increasingly unpopular 72-year-old has been resisting these calls for years, but he revealed that his resignation will be placed on the table for discussion when the football federation convenes next week.
“As for the political side, there is a designated body to make those evaluations — the Federal Council. I’ve already decided to convene it next week, and the assessments will be carried out internally.
“I understand the repeated calls for resignation, but there is a proper place to make those judgments.”
Gabriele Gravina could finally leave the FIGC
Gravina tried to brighten up the situation by commending the team spirit displayed by the Azzurri, and urged Gattuso and Buffon to stay.
“The mood is quite clear, especially considering how this result came about. Let me congratulate the lads, over these past months, they’ve shown incredible growth.
“Many of you haven’t been able to fully appreciate the environment and atmosphere around the team recently. We wanted to give our fans something to celebrate.
I also want to congratulate Rino Gattuso. He’s a great coach. I’ve asked him, along with Buffon, to remain in charge of these players.
“You’ve lost a moment of great unity within the dressing room. You all saw the match. There’s not much to add. The manager called them heroic. Then, of course, I understand there are different evaluations to be made.”
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