Official: Buffon leaves his role with Italy after missing out on 2026 World Cup
Gianluigi Buffon has confirmed that he has resigned from his role as the delegation chief of the Italy national team following the departure of Gabriele Gravina as FIGC President.
Heads are rolling within the Italy national team set-up. FIGC President Gabriele Gravina officially resigned on Tuesday, Buffon has confirmed that he has stepped down and head coach Gennaro Gattuso is expected to follow as well.
The departures of the senior figures of the Italy national team are leaving in the wake of the penalty shoot-out defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Tuesday night’s World Cup play-off final, which cost the Azzurri a place at the World Cup for the third time in a row.
Buffon, in a long statement posted to his Instagram story, confirmed that he offered his resignation immediately after the Bosnia defeat on Tuesday night, but was asked to hold off from making any formal announcements.
Now that Gravina has officially resigned, Buffon has made his decision public as well.
Buffon had served as the head of the delegation of the Italy national team from the summer of 2023.
What Buffon said about Italy resignation
“Resigning just after the end of the match against Bosnia was an urgent act, one that came from deep within me. As spontaneous as the tears that ache in my heart, and which I know I share with all of you,” Buffon wrote in a statement on Instagram.
“I was asked to stall until everyone had the time to reflect. Now that President Gravina has chosen to step back, I feel free to do what I feel is the responsible act. Despite my sincere belief that I have built so much in terms of team spirit with Rino Gattuso and all of my collaborators in the very short time available to the national team, the main objective was to bring Italy back to the World Cup. And we didn’t succeed.
“It’s right to leave those who will follow me to choose the person they deem best to fill my role.
“Representing the national team is an honor for me and a passion that has consumed me since I was a boy.
“I have tried to do my role by putting all my energy into it, wanting all sectors to be linked, a link for dialogue and synergy between various youth teams, striving to structure a project that starts with the very young lads and reaches all the way up to the U21 national teams. This was to rethink the way in which the talents of the future senior national team are developed.
“I requested and obtained the inclusion of a few key, highly experienced figures, who are bringing out these necessary chances with a medium and long-term vision. This is because I believe in the policy of meritocracy. It will be up to those in charge to judge the wisdom of these choices.
“I hold everything in my heart, with gratitude for the privilege and the lessons learned, even if it is a painful epilogue.
“Forza Azzurri sempre.”