Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in the playoff final in Zenica. The Azzurri played most of the match with ten men after Alessandro Bastoni received a red card in the first half. Despite equalizing through a late goal, Italy could not find a winner in extra time and were eventually eliminated in the shootout. The defeat marks the third consecutive World Cup cycle in which Italy has failed to reach the tournament.
Lazio president Claudio Lotito, who is also a senator for Forza Italia, has launched a petition in the Italian Senate calling for the resignation of Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina. The move follows growing backlash over the national team's continued underperformance. Sports Minister Andrea Abodi has already urged Gravina to step down. Protests erupted outside FIGC headquarters in Rome, where demonstrators threw eggs at the building. Gravina has scheduled an emergency meeting with league and association representatives ahead of a full Federal Council session next week.
When Claudio Lotito uses his Senate position to demand Gabriele Gravina's resignation, it signals a collapse of institutional confidence, not just sporting failure. That a club president feels compelled to escalate a football crisis into the political chamber shows how deeply the disappointment over Italy's third consecutive World Cup miss has cut. This is no longer about tactics or players — it is about governance under fire.
