Serie A Clubs Rally Behind Giovanni Malago to Lead FIGC Out of World Cup Crisis
The power brokers of Italian football have made their move. In a decisive gathering in Milan, 18 of the 20 clubs in the top flight have thrown their support behind Giovanni Malago as the preferred candidate for the presidency of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).
The move comes as the FIGC grapples with a profound identity crisis and a string of sporting failures that have left the national team in the wilderness. With the official election scheduled for June 22, the overwhelming consensus among the professional ranks signals a desperate desire for a structural overhaul of the sport in Italy.
A Nation in Sporting Freefall
To understand why the Serie A clubs are pushing so hard for a change in leadership, one only needs to gaze at the record books. Italian football is currently enduring a nightmare scenario: the national team has failed to qualify for three consecutive World Cups—2018, 2022, and most recently, 2026.
The breaking point arrived following a devastating loss in the European playoffs against Bosnia and Herzegovina. That defeat didn’t just end the dream of the 2026 World Cup. it triggered a total collapse of the current leadership structure. In the wake of the exit, a wave of resignations swept through the organization, including the FIGC president, head coach Gennaro Gattuso—who had held the position since June 2025—and coach Gianluigi Buffon.
It is a brutal stretch of history for a nation that views football as a religion, and the professional clubs are no longer willing to tolerate the status quo.
Who is Giovanni Malago?
Giovanni Malago, 67, is not a career football administrator, which may be exactly why he is appealing to the clubs. He brings a pedigree of high-level organizational management, having served as the president of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) from 2013 to 2025.
More recently, Malago led the organizing committee for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. His experience managing massive logistical undertakings and navigating the politics of international sport makes him the “man for the rebuild” in the eyes of the league’s owners.
Following the general assembly in Milan, Ezio Simonelli, the president of Lega Serie A, confirmed the strength of the support for Malago, noting that the vast majority of the first division sees him as the catalyst for a necessary “renaissance” of the sport.
The Dissenters and the Procedural Game
While 18 clubs voted in favor of Malago, the support was not unanimous. Lazio and Verona were the only two clubs that did not cast their vote for him. However, according to Simonelli, this was not a rejection of Malago himself, but rather a move based on “procedural reasons.”
The two clubs indicated they wanted to hold further discussions regarding the specific program and the overall candidate pool before committing their support. In the high-stakes world of Italian football politics, such nuances are common, but they do not diminish the clear mandate Malago currently holds among the professional elite.
The Math of the FIGC Election
Despite the near-unanimous support from the top flight, the path to the presidency is not a guaranteed victory. The FIGC’s voting structure is a complex balance between professional and amateur interests.
Currently, the Serie A clubs represent only 18 percent of the delegates who will participate in the extraordinary electoral assembly. In contrast, amateur football holds a significantly larger share of the power, accounting for 34 percent of the total votes. For Malago to secure the presidency on June 22, he will need to expand his appeal beyond the glitz of the professional league and win over the grassroots organizers who hold the real voting weight.
A Leadership Vacuum
The urgency of the election is underscored by the vacuum left at the top. The resignation of Gabriel Gravine, who had presided over the FIGC since 2018, in early April left the federation without its primary navigator at the worst possible time.
The loss of figures like Gennaro Gattuso and Gianluigi Buffon—the latter a legendary figure in the game—further strips the national setup of its established leadership. The federation is essentially starting from zero, tasked with figuring out how to stop the cycle of playoff exits and return the Azzurri to the world stage.
For the global reader, it’s worth noting that Serie A remains one of the most powerful leagues in the world, currently ranked second in the UEFA league coefficient. The disconnect between the success of the club game and the failure of the national team is the central problem Malago is being asked to solve.
What’s Next
The focus now shifts to the campaign trail. Malago must spend the next few weeks convincing the amateur delegates that his vision for “renewal” extends beyond the interests of the big clubs in Milan and Rome.
The Next Checkpoint: The official election for the recent FIGC president will take place on June 22.
Do you think a non-football administrator like Malago is the right choice to fix the Italian national team, or does the FIGC need a football man? Let us know in the comments.
