CONI appoints Giovanni Malagò as FIGC extraordinary commissioner

Giovanni Malagò has been appointed as the extraordinary commissioner of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), just months after his initial election victory in June was voided because he lacked a federation membership card. CONI president Luciano Buonfiglio announced the decision following weeks of political friction and governance disputes that culminated in the commissariamento of the federation. As Lorenzo Vendemiale of Il Fatto Quotidiano reported, tanti speravano di impallinare Malagò col pretesto del tesseramento, including several prominent Serie A club presidents disappointed with the early phase of his management and various politicians.

CONI Intervenes Over Membership Rule

The disciplinary action stems from CONI’s ruling that Malagò failed to hold the required FIGC membership card at the time of his June election, a regulatory requirement. However, records show that at least two former FIGC presidents, Gabriele Gravina and Giancarlo Abete, held office for years without being tesserati, a precedent that led some to characterize the initial disqualification as a procedural pretext. CONI’s official delibrations explicitly bypassed sanctions against Malagò personally, instead faulting the FIGC general secretariat—led by Marco Brunelli since 2019—for failing to properly vet candidacy documentation and permit unverified admissions. The official documents, signed by Secretary General Carlo Mornati and CONI president Luciano Buonfiglio, highlighted not only the missing membership card but also the absence of a formal application letter for the candidacy procedure, which the responsible federal bodies failed to notice.

Political Divisions Pressure the Commissioner Appointment

The path to the commissioner appointment exposed deep divisions between sports administrators and national political figures. Buonfiglio acknowledged receiving contradictory messages from Serie A clubs, with some factions demanding he act as commissioner while others threatened that the league could exit the federation before eventually issuing a statement opposing the commissariamento. Il Fatto Quotidiano reported that Minister of Sport Andrea Abodi and Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti applied pressure on CONI, using longstanding tensions dating back to 2017 when Malagò supported Carlo Tavecchio over Abodi in a FIGC presidential race. Despite these pressures, Buonfiglio ultimately reversed course to avoid fracturing CONI from within, securing an emergency compromise that placed Malagò back in charge as commissioner. Matteo Pinci of Repubblica noted that the government was behind a plan to oust Malagò, with Abodi exerting undeniable pressure on CONI and Buonfiglio. Government figures were even reportedly prepared to place CONI itself under commissioner management via Luca Pancalli before the leadership forged an alternative exit strategy.

Mixed Reactions Across Italian Sports

The unusual arrangement of appointing the exact figure at the center of the regulatory crisis as its emergency administrator drew immediate criticism from rival sports leaders. Angelo Binaghi, president of the Fitp, publicly criticized the appointment at the Premio Colalucci awards, stating that CONI leadership had diminished in institutional value under Malagò’s tenure. Conversely, it was reported that roughly two-thirds of Serie A club presidents continue to back Malagò, buoyed by the national team’s recent positive performances under head coach Roberto Mancini in the UEFA Nations League and the under-21 squad’s qualification for upcoming European competition. Major league stakeholders are expected to formalize their support during an upcoming league assembly. Internal friction persisted within top-tier clubs, however, as some executives—with Giuseppe Marotta leading the preference—would have preferred Antonio Conte over Mancini, while others questioned Malagò’s handling of Diana Bianchedi as head of the azzurro delegation.

Path Toward December Elections

With Malagò installed as extraordinary commissioner, the federation faces an administrative timeline culminating in a rescheduled general election. The administrative disruption has cost the federation approximately 300,000 euros to rerun the electoral assembly, leaving critical domestic issues—including youth sector restructuring, stadium infrastructure development, and officiating reforms—suspended while the sporting governance crisis plays out. Meanwhile, Malagò’s schedule includes visits to UEFA, an appearance at the Collari d’oro awards, a trip to Coverciano for women’s football, an informal federal council meeting, and a late-month journey to Senegal for the Summer Youth Olympic Games, maintaining his role as an IOC member at least through 2029.

The Wider Context of Italian Football

As federation officials scrambled to replace office photographs of the president with those of the commissioner, critics noted the broader stagnation of Italian football on the international stage. Having missed three consecutive World Cups and failed to secure a Champions League title since 2010, Italian football continues to lag behind European counterparts in Spain, France, England, and Portugal while local administrators debate structural reforms.