A difficult night, perhaps sleepless, for Gabriele Gravina. Not so much for the result, as heavy as it was, but for the palpable feeling that something deep has broken. The 3-0 defeat suffered by Italy against Norway is more than a defeat: it is the sign of a technical project that is creaking, devoid of identity, empty in the head and legs. And now the president of the FIGC finds himself managing a crisis that could soon turn into an earthquake.
Gravina will start taking the pulse of the environment from Coverciano today. A first round of talks with those who live the Azzurri group on a daily basis, starting with Gianluigi Buffon. But the meeting that really counts is the one with Luciano Spalletti, and it will come on Tuesday, after the match with Moldova. A match that, in the tense silence of the Technical Center, is now considered the last call. Not only for the coach, but for the entire structure of the National Team.
Already after the European Championship the project had shown cracks. Gravina had chosen continuity, trusting in a relaunch that, for a brief moment, had even seemed possible. The victories, the dignified performances, a Nations League faced with seriousness. But today the scenario is different. Italy is dull, confused, unable to find the thread of the game and the soul of a group that, once, had made compactness its strength.
The president is wondering, in a race against time to avoid a third world failure that would have a devastating impact, both sporting and political. The point is clear: if the fracture with Spalletti will be judged incurable, the intervention will be rapid and decisive. Gravina can no longer afford hesitations.
Article published by Vincenzo Scarpa on June 7, 2025, at 17:26 PM
Vincenzo Scarpa, Journalist for Cronache della Campania and
Political Science student at the University of Naples Federico II.
Passionate about all types of sports, he loves to write and talk mainly about football.
It's a shame that the National team can't find its identity, the match against Norway was really disappointing. I hope Gravina can solve the problems and bring the group back to victory.