Rome, 12 Apr. (LaPresse) – "I have accepted criticism in silence, and even insults. But I cannot tolerate being called unworthy. No one can afford to take the moral high ground, either inside or outside the world of football. Am I referring to Minister Abodi? I don’t want to name names. Everyone is judged by who they are and what they feel. It will be up to others to pass judgement.” So said the outgoing president of the Italian Football Federation, Gabriele Gravina, in an interview with Corriere della Sera. “I accept my responsibilities. I did not keep the promise I made to Italian fans. I had said we would have gone to the World Cup even if we had to swim there, and yet we failed to do so,” he explains. “My resignation is a final act of love for football. And I could not allow the attacks on me to penalise the Federation. But that’s not all. Even before the play-offs, I had thought of stepping aside. And not so much because I didn’t feel up to the task, but because of the constraints, ties and obstacles that hinder the growth and development of the sport. And all of this, if I may say so, is frustrating. In the end, I decided to stay and accepted this ordeal. Now I live almost like a recluse, shuttling between home and the Federation.” Ahead of the Federal Council meeting that will choose his successor, he assures us, “I will not be the architect of the future and I will not pave the way for anyone”, although – he warns – “we need unity of purpose and must put the common good before defending our own little fiefdoms”. Following Italy’s elimination from the World Cup, Gravina used the term ‘amateurs’ to refer to other sports, sparking controversy at a time when Italy is triumphing in disciplines other than football. He now clarifies: “I’m sorry for how my words were interpreted in Italy. They certainly needed to be better explained: I wanted to emphasise that professionalism must be subject to national and international regulations. It was certainly not my intention to question, let alone belittle, the commitment and professionalism of athletes in other disciplines.” “What do I envy about the federations of top nations? You know I adore the German model. They started from scratch in the truest sense of the word, all united and with the same goal. And now they are beginning to see the fruits of their labour. It is a forward-thinking vision that does not exist here. Let’s be clear: in Italy, only the fans care about the national team. For everyone else, including politicians, it serves only to stake a personal claim when things go wrong.”