Abodi hits back at outgoing FIGC President Gravina: ‘Always because of politics’

Italian Minister for Sport Andrea Abodi has hit back at the outgoing FIGC President Gabriele Gravina, who previously hinted that the football association did not receive sufficient backing from the government, and says that: ‘When things go wrong, it’s always because of politics’. 

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Abodi responds to Gravina: ‘It’s always because of politics’

Gravina confirmed that he will be leaving his role as President of the FIGC following Italy’s World Cup play-off final defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of March, which cost the Azzurri a spot at the World Cup for the third tournament in a row. Head coach Gennaro Gattuso and Italy’s delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon have also left their roles. 

Gravina will remain in charge of the FIGC to conduct basic administrative duties until a new President is elected on June 22. 

Since confirming his resignation from the FIGC, Gravina has published a report detailing the ongoing issues within Italian football and the national team set-up. 

Gravina highlighted various well-known issues in his report, including the low percentage of Italian players who play regularly in Serie A, the lack of investment in footballing infrastructure and a lack of balance in the tactics vs. technical ability debate. He gave various reasons for Italy’s lack of success on the international stage, including a lack of financial support from the government. 

Separately, in a recent interview with Corriere della Sera, Gravina claimed that he had explored the possibility of bringing in incentives for Italian youth academies, which he felt could help improve the number of Italian talents playing in Serie A, but claims that the government was restrictive in that regard. 

Minister for Sport Abodi has since had his opportunity to issue a response to Gravina’s recent claims while speaking at the Luiss Sport Forum in Rome. 

“I’ve learned that politics is always referred to in certain cases. When something doesn’t work, it’s always because of politics,” Abodi said somewhat sarcastically (via TMW). 

“I’ve never taken it out on anyone else. When you want to find a solution for the common good, you have to sit around the table with all relevant parties and make those decisions that have not been made in recent years, despite the broad consensus. 

“To me, it doesn’t seem like we need to ‘invent’ anything. We have the possible solutions on the table, we just need to evaluate their compatibility together.” 

Abodi also said: “I’m fascinated by the things that have to be done. Unfortunately, due to the nature of football, which isn’t always harmonious, many of those things haven’t been done.

“The 98.7% of votes that Gravina received in the last election demonstrates that it is not the quantity of the consensus that determines how things go, but the quality of the collaboration between all the parties.”