Viviano on Italy World Cup defeat: ‘If I were Gravina, I would emigrate’

Former Italy goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano has delivered one of the more colourful verdicts on Gabriele Gravina’s refusal to resign following Italy’s World Cup playoff elimination, suggesting the FIGC president should be doing far more than simply stepping down.

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“It seems impossible to me that the federation president has not resigned,” Viviano told Radio Firenzeviola, via LLSN. “If I were in his position, I would emigrate.”

Speaking on Radio Firenzeviola, the former Serie A stopper did not limit his criticism to those at the top of the federation.

Vivano slams Italy academies: ‘Nothing is built, nothing is taught’

Drawing on his experience as a father of children currently playing youth football, Viviano pointed to a fundamental failure at grassroots level as a root cause of Italy’s repeated international failures.

“We are one of the best countries in sport, alongside the Balkan nations we have an incredible variety of talent and we are naturally predisposed to succeed in sport,” he said.

“But in football academies nothing is being built and nothing is being taught. It all comes down to ‘today I won, today I lost’, and nothing more.”

It is a damning assessment that echoes the broader frustration being expressed across Italian football in the 24 hours since Wednesday’s penalty shootout defeat in Zenica.

With Gravina yet to show any sign of stepping aside despite mounting pressure from politicians, former players and the public alike, the calls for fundamental change, both at the top and at the grassroots, show no sign of abating.