Logo
BREAKING
Gianluigi Buffon Steps Down From Italy's Role Following Bosnia Heartbreak2026 Women's NCAA Final Four PreviewDollyp Sports Academy duo joins FK Grafičar Beograd.Man City offer Rodri a new contract.Morocco sues France for Senegal's defiant AFCON 2025 trophy display.
Gianluigi Buffon Steps Down From Italy's Role Following Bosnia Heartbreak

Gianluigi Buffon Steps Down From Italy's Role Following Bosnia Heartbreak

Gianluigi Buffon has resigned as head of delegation for the Italy national team, one minute after the World Cup playoff loss to Bosnia.

What Buffon said during his statement

Buffon indicated that he was requested to halt and give everyone time to comprehend the outcome and the whole situation. “Now that President Gravina has chosen to step back, I feel free to do what I sense as an act of responsibility,” he wrote. Despite his view that he and Gattuso quickly established a strong spirit and team environment, he emphasizes that the primary goal was clear: return Italy to the World Cup. "And we didn't succeed," he explained. That, he argues, justifies opening the way for whoever follows.

Passing the torch to the next leader

Buffon believes it is acceptable to delegate the future of the role to the new leadership, allowing them to choose the finest candidate to lead the national team ahead. He is more concerned with doing what is best for the Azzurri project than with personal pride. Representing Italy, he adds, has always been an honor and a passion for him, dating back to his childhood. As a former number-one goalkeeper and one of football history's most decorated players, he wanted to add his own personality to the position of delegation leader.

The Azzurri project he tried to build

Buffon emphasized his efforts to collaborate with all aspects of the national team system, serving as a liaison between junior and senior teams. His goal was to create a project that began with the smallest age groups and progressed all the way to the U21 national team, reimagining how Italy develops the talent who will one day wear the Azzurri shirt at the senior level.

He enlisted experienced professionals to advocate for structural improvements with medium- and long-term goals.

Buffon sees this as a clear example of meritocracy and role specialization. He defers those decisions to the next leadership, who will evaluate their impact.

Closing with Forza Azzurri

The former goalkeeper wraps off his speech, grateful for the honor and lessons that even this awful conclusion has provided. He closes with the line that encapsulates every fan's connection to the national team: "Forza Azzurri always."