Gravina: “After Mancini’s resignation I felt betrayed”

The President of the Italian Football Federation gave a detailed interview: Gabriele Gravinaon the TV channel TV2000 The 70-year-old is asked about his country’s rejection of his proposal to co-organize the congress World Championship from 2030 together with the Saudi Arabia and Egypt

“In the world of sport, ethical issues are fundamental. We always talk about values, we try to show young people how fundamental the image is, we cultivate passion but respect the great values ​​of sport.” initially stated Gravinabefore explaining why Italy did not accept the proposal to be among the countries that would co-host the 2030 World Cup.

“We rejected the proposal even though we knew that this merger with Egypt and Saudi Arabia would have a high probability of success. We did this because of international issues related to the Regeni case (kidnapping and torture of an Italian citizen in Egypt) and because we do not share some values. You can’t always act like nothing happened.

He then answered a question about Roberto Mancini’s unexpected resignation from the bench of the Italian national team after five years of collaboration, the most important moment being winning Euro 2020 in England.

“Not on a sporting level, but on a human level, Mancini’s selection was a disappointment“, he initially emphasized about the Italian coach’s decision to suddenly leave on August 13th, in the middle of qualifying for the 2024 European Championship, to move to Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Gulf state.

“I felt betrayed with pure emotion towards Roberto, who I had always considered a friend. Beyond the interests of his choice of coach, it was a wound for me that will be difficult to heal“, he added, before talking about the succession situation of Luciano Spalletti, with whom the Azzurri have secured their presence on the playing fields of Germany in the summer of 2024 with the aim of defending their title.