Italian football federation president resigns

Italian football federation President Carlo Tavecchio has resigned a week after the Italian national team failed to qualify for next year's World Cup finals in Russia.

Italian Football Federation (FIGC) President Carlo Tavecchio gestures during a press conference held after his official resignation during a crisis meeting of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in Rome on November 20 2017. [Photo: IC]

The resignation came following calls for a complete overhaul of the nation's most popular sport, from the amateur leagues to Serie A and the national teams.

"I have resigned. I have asked for the resignation of all federal council's members as a political act, but nobody has stepped down. Only my resignation is standing."

Four-time champion Italy finished second in its World Cup qualifying group behind Spain.

They were then beaten by Sweden 1-0 on aggregate.

Sweden's win over Italy in the playoff barred the four-time champions from the World Cup for the first time in six decades.

Italian head coach Gian Piero Ventura was fired two days after the loss.

Tavecchio had resisted calls to step down in the past week but he eventually lost the support of the federation's board of directors.