Serie A clubs back Giovanni Malagò in race for Italian FA presidency
Italy's top-flight clubs have thrown their weight behind Giovanni Malagò to become the next president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). During an assembly in Milan on Monday, 18 of the 20 Serie A teams formally endorsed the 67-year-old former Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) president as their preferred candidate. The move comes in the wake of Gabriele Gravina's resignation as FIGC president following Italy's failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.
Only Lazio and Verona did not sign the endorsement document, with their presidents, Claudio Lotito and Italo Zanzi respectively, objecting to the process rather than the candidate. They argued the clubs should have first debated a program for Italian football before settling on a name. The deadline for presidential candidacies is May 13, with the election scheduled for June 22. Serie A League president Ezio Simonelli confirmed the widespread support, stating that with 11 endorsements needed for an official candidacy, Malagò had comfortably exceeded the threshold.
Simonelli indicated that Malagò, who currently heads the Milan Cortina Foundation, will now conduct his own verifications before formalizing his bid. The league plans to invite him to a meeting, likely next Monday, to discuss programs and integrate ideas. Simonelli dismissed past tensions, referencing a reported comment where Malagò once called Serie A presidents "delinquents," suggesting the candidate would have changed his view. The swift endorsement is framed as an immediate reaction to the national team's recent sporting disappointment.
However, the path is not clear for Malagò, as a significant challenger emerged on the same day. Giancarlo Abete, the current president of Italy's amateur league (LND) and also a former CONI president, announced his intention to run. Abete stated he would ask his board to invest him with the candidacy, mirroring the process used by Serie A for Malagò. He criticized the accelerated timeline, advocating for a focus on program and content before personalities. Abete expressed a desire for a unified candidacy built from contributions across all of Italian football's components but stated he is prepared to contest an election if necessary.
The development sets the stage for a contest between two experienced sports administrators with deep ties to Italian Olympic and football institutions. Inter CEO Beppe Marotta, commenting on the dual candidacies, described Malagò as a manager who has navigated the sporting world for years and will interpret the league's needs. He acknowledged Abete's legitimate right to run, given his contributions to football, framing the situation as a democratic contest where the candidate with the most support will win. The election will determine who leads Italian football through a period of profound crisis and necessary reform.
