The Italian government has been urged to instantly repeal the 2018 Dignity Decree, as the political fallout intensifies due to the Azzurri’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive FIFA World Cup.
Italy’s shock defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina sealing its absence from the 2026 tournament in the USA/Mexico/Canada has led to a predictable all-out blame game in the halls of both chambers of Rome’s parliament.
The crisis has been branded a “Terza Apocalisse” (‘Third Apocalypse’) by La Gazzetta dello Sport, while Corriere dello Sport’s blunt front page simply read “Tutti a Casa” — “Everyone go Home” capturing the public despair.
PM Giorgia Meloni instantly swung to action, calling a formal inquiry into the state of Italian football, its governance and funding.
Predictably the backlash has landed squarely on the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), which has come under immediate political and media fire.
President Gabriele Gravina resigned on 2 April 2026 amid mounting pressure from Sports Minister Andrea Abodi and Meloni, both of whom demanded a sweeping overhaul of the federation and its leadership ranks.
The exodus continued with Azurri legend Gianluigi Buffon, a member of the World Cup winning squad of 2006, stepping down as Delegation Head, calling his decision an “act of responsibility after failing to deliver Italy’s return to the World Cup”.
Head coach Gennaro Gattuso followed on 3 April, resigning with a “heavy heart” amid fierce criticism of his tactical approach, with commentators labelling his tenure branded as “reductive and devoid of leadership in decisive moments.”
Yet the blame cannot rest solely on the FIGC. Italian policymakers are acutely aware that the national game faces a structural funding deficit that has gone unresolved for over a decade.
The warning signs have been evident throughout 2026, with Serie A clubs failing to progress beyond the opening knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, often outclassed by European clubs (Inter Milan 3-1 loss to Bodø/Glimt anyone!).
Gravina’s resignation, while expected, was accompanied by a parting shot of government’s inaction, to do anything to improve the national game. The outgoing president reiterated that he had submitted proposals aimed at restoring the financial sustainability of Italian football — chief among them the repeal of the Dignity Decree.
Central to his reform package was the introduction of a “right to bet” proposal, whereby a percentage of gambling revenues linked to football would be redistributed back into the sport.
Gravina argued that such a framework, aligned with European principles, would provide ring-fenced funding for infrastructure development, youth academies, initiatives that have been carried out by nation’s Italy once deemed as minnows of football.
Decree must die
This first point of call should be the instant removal of Italy’s blanket ban on gambling advertising and sponsorship. Gravina is adamant that the Dignity Decree has been “proven largely ineffective” at reducing gambling harm.
Instead, he warned, the policy had deprived Italian clubs of critical commercial revenues, leaving them at a competitive disadvantage compared to their European counterparts, where betting brands remain dominant sponsors.
The Dignity Decree itself has remained controversial since its inception under former State Secretary Luigi Di Maio. Originally designed to regulate temporary labour contracts, the legislation was expanded to impose a blanket ban on gambling advertising and sponsorships.
Critics across Italian media and football governance maintain that the decree has failed in its primary objective and instead inflicted significant economic damage, with estimates suggesting that Italian football has lost up to €1bn in advertising revenues since its implementation.
Gravina had been scheduled to present these proposals to the Chamber of Deputies’ Culture Committee as part of a wider report on the health of Italian football.
However, the hearing was cancelled following his resignation, leaving the future of his reforms uncertain.
All eyes on Abodi
The heat is on Sports Minister Andrea Abodi, whose agenda has been intensified by Italy’s footballing failures and the political urgency to fix a struggling national game.
At the close of 2025, Abodi confirmed that discussions had begun on repealing the Dignity Decree of 2018. He has since been tasked with drafting a new bill to overturn the legislation and establish a regulated framework for gambling advertising and sports sponsorships.
Initial plans indicate that any revised framework would secure funding streams for Italian football, with targeted investment in stadium infrastructure, the women’s game and the renovation of public sporting venues.
The bill requires coordination with Maurizio Leo, Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, with both ministries expected to engage Serie A leadership, including league president Ezio Simonelli.
Progress, however, has been slow. The government’s legislative timetable has been complicated by the rollout of Italy’s new online gambling licensing regime, while a broader reorganisation of land-based gambling is expected to be published in April.
As so often the case in Italy, football and politics are inseparable. The Meloni government must now confront not only a sporting crisis but its economic consequences, with estimates suggesting the World Cup absence could cost the economy around €2bn.
As one observer noted to SBC, reliving Italy’s failure to qualify for a third World Cup, as the equivalent of being forced to relive the sinking of the Titanic … a trauma that will never go away.
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