The Italian National Olympic Committee has appointed Italian Football Federation President Giovanni Malago as the governing body’s commissioner following a dispute over his election eligibility. The unusual administrative arrangement means Malago’s technical presidency of the FIGC ends, yet he remains in charge of the institution until a fresh vote.
Membership Dispute Challenges Malago Presidency
The crisis originated after Malago secured 68,5 oyla (68,5 percent of the votes) at the extraordinary general assembly held on June 22, succeeding Gabriele Gravina following the men’s national team’s failure to reach a third World Cup finals. Objections arose because Malago lacked an active federation membership registration at the exact time of his candidacy.
The Italian National Olympic Committee maintained that prior federation membership is mandatory for any presidential candidate, while the football body argued that membership was not compulsory and that the vote could not be nullified. The standoff triggered broader debates regarding CONI’s supervisory authority and sports autonomy, during which Malago criticized Spor Bakanı Andrea Abodi‘s support for a commissioner appointment as political interference.
Malago Becomes Commissioner to Resolve Dispute
To resolve the month-long dispute, the two organizations agreed on an intermediate formula allowing Malago to step down from the presidency while immediately returning as commissioner. La Gazzetta dello Sport highlighted the unique situation with the headline “Malago kendisinin kayyumu oluyor”.
CONI announced that the extraordinary elective general assembly must take place no later than January 31, 2027. Italian sports press reports also noted that UEFA was monitoring the situation, signaling that political interference could jeopardize Italy’s joint bid with Turkey to host the 2032 European Football Championship.
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