Mauro Fabris Steps Down After 20 Years as Italian Women’s Volleyball League President

A Two-Way Contest to Succeed Fabris in Venice

The assembly brings a contested succession vote for the leadership of Italian women’s volleyball. Corriere dello Sport reports that the race narrows to two prominent executives: Vito Cozzoli, chief executive of Autostrade per lo Stato and former president of Sport e Salute, and Massimo Beduschi, chief executive and chairman of WPP Media Italia. Cozzoli draws backing from roughly half of the Serie A1 and A2 clubs, stemming from an initial push by a nomination committee assembled by the teams during the summer. Beduschi enters with support from the Italian Volleyball Federation (FIPAV) and major Serie A1 outfits, including Conegliano.

Alongside the presidency, delegates will elect positional council members representing the divisions. Nominees for Serie A1 include Ivano Angeli of Vallefoglia, Sandra Leoncini of Scandicci, Enrico Marchioni of Novara, Pietro Paolella of Macerata, Giuseppe Pirola of Busto Arsizio, and Andrea Veneziani of Bergamo. The Serie A2 candidates features Maurizio Buscaino of Marsala, Stefano Condina of Offanengo, and Roberto Mignemi of the Roma Volley Club.

Two Decades of Financial and Structural Growth

Reflecting on his tenure beginning in 2006, Fabris described Italian women's volleyball as an insular environment plagued by internal friction when he first took the post. In comments covered by league documentation, he points to foundational shifts like the introduction of the pink court to establish a distinct visual identity, the launch of LVFTV as an early pioneer among dedicated sports streaming OTT platforms, and rigorous enforcement against administrative doping to attract external investment. Revenue figures surged, tripling in the last season to maintain squad competitiveness against the power of Turkish leagues. Under his leadership, Italian clubs secured 31 international trophies.

Speaking to Sport e Finanza, Fabris characterized the movement’s rise not as a passing financial spike, but as a deeply entrenched system built on elite youth academies, technical instruction from Italian coaches, and broad geographic sustainability rather than reliance on two or three dominant powerhouses.

Institutional Friction Overshadows the Election

The leadership transition unfolds amid sharp institutional disputes between the league and the national federation. In an interview with La Stampa, Fabris criticized what he termed heavy federation interference in the electoral process, alleging pressure on voting delegates that undermines autonomous club governance. The outgoing president noted that the clubs contribute roughly two million euros annually to FIPAV while receiving no public subsidies in return, forcing the league to independently secure commercial partners.

Disputes extend to governance rules, specifically annual championship conventions that Fabris argues prevent clubs from securing long-term sponsorship contracts. The league has pursued legal and antitrust challenges against statute reforms it claims establish a market dominance. Additional friction points include the integration of the Club Italia squad—which Fabris asserts was meant to face relegation to Serie B under original agreements rather than operating as a seventeenth team—and concerns over insurance coverage for national team players like Omoruyi of Vallefoglia and Amoruso of Brescia following injuries sustained while on international duty.