Italy's Football Chief Falls on His Sword After Third Consecutive World Cup Miss

Gabriele Gravina revealed he would step down as the country's top football official following a meeting held at the FIGC's headquarters in Rome on Thursday. | Football News

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The head of Italy's football federation, Gabriele Gravina, resigned on Thursday after the men's national team failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time.

Gravina, 72, stepped down as the country's top football official following a meeting held at the FIGC's headquarters in Rome on Thursday.

His announcement came a day after Sport Minister Andrea Abodi called on him to resign.

Four-time World Cup winners Italy fell at the play-offs again on Tuesday, this time after a penalty shoot-out against Bosnia and Hercegovina, and will miss this summer's finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The shock waves of the latest humiliation for one of the world's most successful football nations forced Gravina to go back on his initial plans to wait until a FIGC board meeting next week to announce a decision on his future.

A vote for a new president would be held on June 22, with Giovanni Malago reportedly one of the names in the hat.

Before then, head coach Gennaro Gattuso is expected to also step down, while general manager Gianluigi Buffon announced his resignation on Thursday.