Elections could be a historic turning point for Italian football: after Gravinas resignation, a lawyer reveals what the next president of the FIGC will absolutely need to change

Italian football is going through a period of turbulence. Following Gabriele Gravina’s resignation as president of the FIGC, Sports Minister Andrea Abodi announced the effective appointment of Massimo Sessa as extraordinary commissioner in charge of the infrastructure needed for Euro 2032, which Italy will co-host with Turkey.

Sessa, an engineer from Salerno and president of the High Council of Public Works since January 2024, was proposed by Abodi as early as last September. His appointment has now been registered by the Court of Auditors. A decree signed by the undersecretary to the presidency of the Council, Alfredo Mantovano, defines the technical structure that will now operate under his command. According to Abodi, “the commissioner is already operational” and is working on the files of the five stadiums that must meet UEFA’s requirements. Approximately €5 billion in funds could be unlocked thanks to this new institutional framework.

Regarding the successor to Gravina, sports law specialist lawyer Giorgio Spallone shared his analysis. For him, the next election at the head of FIGC must mark a break: “The new president must necessarily combine managerial skills and knowledge of the football environment.” He argues for an end to the “permanent conflict between the political level, the leagues, and the Federation,” which he sees as the main cause of the current stagnation.

Spallone sees this period as a rare opportunity: “The elections for the new federal president could be a historic turning point for Italian football, at all levels, from training to infrastructure reconstruction.” However, he conditions any hope of seeing the National Team at the 2030 World Cup on a true political and institutional opening.