Italian Football in Freefall: Serie A Demands Top Table After Azzurri's Bosnia Blunder

Picture this: Italy, the four-time World Cup winners, can't even see off Bosnia and Herzegovina in a play-off. It's the third straight tournament they're watching from the sofa, and the fallout's hitting like a thunderbolt. As reported by Susy Campanale at Football Italia, the blame game's on, and Lega Serie A president Ezio Maria Simonelli is calling for his league to grab the reins.

Shirts Off, Heads Gone: The Resignation Dominoes

First domino: FIGC president Gabriele Gravina quits. Then Gigi Buffon, Italy's legendary glovesman turned delegation chief, follows suit. Word is, coach Gennaro Gattuso won't be far behind – can't say we're shocked, Rino's not one to hang around in a sinking ship.

An election's pencilled in for June 22 to pick a new FIGC boss. But here's the kicker: the 274 delegates vote under a quirky system. Serie A gets a measly 18% say, Serie B 6%, Lega Pro 12%, amateurs (LND) a whopping 34%, players' association 20%, and coaches 10%. No wonder the top flight's fuming – it's like letting the Sunday league lads decide Champions League quals.

Serie A Steps Up: 'We're the Big Boys Here'

Enter Simonelli, who's not mincing words. 'As Lega Serie A, we must have a primary role, guiding all teams,' he told the press, sounding like a gaffer rallying the troops at half-time. Like every punter nursing a pint, he's gutted, but eyes are on fixes: youth setups, club governance, and rebuilding that Italian football heritage.

Remember Gravina's big idea? Shrink Serie A from 20 to 18 teams. Lega Serie A batted that away like a dodgy corner. Now, with the dust settling, they're positioning themselves as the grown-ups in the room. Fair play – they pump the cash and talent into the national side, yet get short shrift on decisions.

Who's Next in the Hot Seat?

Rumours swirl about replacements. Giovanni Malagò, ex-CONI chief, looks the frontrunner – the Olympic suits guy stepping into football's madhouse. But Simonelli played coy: 'No names dropped in our meeting.' Smart lad, keeping cards close while the knives sharpen.

This mess stems from that grim night – think Juventus vs Atalanta vibes at Allianz Stadium, but with higher stakes (photo credit: Marco Bertorello/AFP). Italy's youth pipeline's creaking, results are rotten, and fans are howling. Can Serie A steer the ship back to glory? Or will more egos clash before a U-turn?

It's a proper pub debate: too much politics, not enough passion? Simonelli's lot reckon they hold the map. With elections looming, expect fireworks. Italy's football family needs mending, pronto – before the next Euro qualifiers turn into another farce. Chin up, Azzurri – you've bounced back from worse.