By Jacob Ajom
In other climes, the present board of the Nigeria Football Federation would have become history. They would have either resigned or kicked out through legally approved means. For failing to qualify his country for the ongoing World Cup, the head of Italy’s football federation (FIGC) Gabriele Gravina resigned. The Italy men’s team failed to qualify for a third World Cup consecutively.
His announcement came a day after Sport Minister Andrea Abodi called on him to resign.
Four-time World Cup winners Italy fell at the playoffs again, this time after a penalty shootout against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Gravina did not leave alone. He was joined by Italian national team delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon and head coach Gennaro Gattuso, both of whom also stepped down.
Libyan Football Federation (LFF): President Abdelhakim Al-Shalmani also resigned from his post for failure to qualify for the World Cup. While heavily linked to team disputes and travel controversies, the decision was announced during an assembly where he stated he did not want to be associated with the failure of Libyan sports .
The scale of resignations continued, especially during the ongoing World Cup in the Americas. From Europe to Africa and Asia, coaches who arrived at the tournament with lofty ambitions have seen their tenures come to an abrupt end after failing to meet the expectations of their football-loving nations.
Saudi FA President Yasser Al-Misehal resigned after the Green Falcons were eliminated in the group stages of the tournament. Saudi Arabia finished bottom of Group H with two points. Yasser al-Misehal wrote on X, “The failure of the national team is a result that falls short of all our ambitions, and I bear full responsibility for it. I offer my apologies to everyone who hoped to see our team in a better position.”
He continued, “A sense of responsibility requires giving the opportunity to open a new chapter, and I have decided not to continue until the end of my current term.”.
No fewer than seven national team coaches have resigned their appointments after failing to live up to expectations. Tunisia officially sacked head coach Sabri Lamouchi following their humiliating 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup . The Tunisian Football Federation swiftly appointed veteran French manager Hervé Renard to take charge of the team for the remainder of the tournament .Unfortunately, Havre could not save the team as the Carthage Eagles lost all their group matches and exited the tournament after group stage.
One of the prominent managerial casualties is Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman, who stepped down following his country’s shock Round of 32 elimination at the hands of Morocco. Koeman accepted responsibility for the disappointing campaign and described the decision as one of the most difficult of his coaching career.
Scotland also joined the growing list of countries making managerial changes after Steve Clarke resigned following the nation’s group-stage elimination. During his tenure, Clarke guided Scotland back to major international tournaments and ended the country’s 28-year absence from the FIFA World Cup.
The Scottish Football Association paid tribute to the 62-year-old, acknowledging his contribution to rebuilding the national team despite the disappointment of the World Cup campaign.
South Korea also entered a new chapter after head coach Hong Myung-bo resigned less than 24 hours after the country’s group-stage elimination.
The former national team captain accepted full responsibility for the disappointing campaign and apologised to supporters before announcing his departure.
The latest casualty is Germany coach, Julian Nagelsmann. The country’s football association DFB announced yesterday that the 38-year-old had agreed to go following talks with senior officials.
Nagelsmann, who was under contract until the 2028 European Championship, leaves his position four days after Germany were stunned by Paraguay, losing 4-3 on penalties in one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 World Cup knockouts.
“The German Football Association expressly thanks Julian Nagelsmann for his work since September 2023,” DFB President Bernd Neuendorf said in a statement.
With the tournament now entering the decisive knockout stages, observers believe the list of managerial departures may yet grow.
Traditional football powerhouses such as Brazil, France, Argentina, Spain and England remain under immense pressure to justify their status as title contenders, while any unexpected elimination could prompt further reviews by their respective football associations.
However, while football managers and administrators are resigning in other places, in Nigeria the case has been different. With a culture bereft of honour or self-esteem, public officers in Nigeria cling to their offices even when their Key Performance Indicators are negative.
