Statute Rejection Triggers Board Collapse

The crisis at the weightlifting federation erupted on September 26 when an extraordinary assembly rejected all proposed amendments to the organization’s statute. Immediately following the vote, seven of the ten board members stepped down. According to agency reports, Miglietta requested that the resigning members remain in office under a prorogatio status to handle administrative duties. When the board members refused, Miglietta also submitted his resignation.

Under Article 20 of the federation’s statute, the resignation of a majority of board members within a seven-day window automatically causes the entire council, including the president, to lapse. The rule permits a departing president to handle ordinary administrative and urgent tasks independently until an electoral assembly is convened within 90 days. Conversely, if only the president resigns, the board remains in office to share those administrative duties. By attempting to keep the former board in prorogatio, reports indicate Miglietta sought to navigate these statutory constraints before ultimately stepping down.

Contested Election Timeline and CONI Intervention

Two days after his resignation, on September 28, Miglietta signed a notice as “Federal President” calling an extraordinary elective assembly for December 6. His decree cited Articles 16 and 18 of the statute while omitting Article 20, which governs council lapses. Less than 24 hours after that election notice was issued, the CONI board intervened with a unanimous vote to place the federation under emergency oversight. CONI’s official statement cited the impossibility of guaranteeing the regular functioning of the federation’s governing organs as the primary motivation for the takeover.

With Buonfiglio now installed at the helm, the validity of the December 6 elective assembly remains uncertain. Observers note that leadership at the Foro Italico sought to prevent Miglietta from orchestrating his own succession. It remains unclear whether CONI will uphold the December election date or establish a new timeline for the federation.

A Rapid Descent for a Major Sports Executive

The intervention marks a steep decline for Miglietta, a 1960-born Milanese accountant who has long operated as one of the most influential figures in Italian sport. His administrative career includes leading the Italian Badminton Federation from 2004 to 2017—after which he was named honorary president—and serving as chief executive officer of Coni Servizi (later transformed into Sport e Salute) from 2013 to 2019. In June 2025, Miglietta helped back Buonfiglio’s successful campaign for the CONI presidency. Although Buonfiglio initially wanted him as secretary general, a broader agreement involving Franco Carraro prioritized Carlo Mornati’s retention, leading CONI leadership to later assign Miglietta the task of coordinating 20 thematic departments aimed at sports reform.

Returning to federation leadership in October 2024, Miglietta secured 99.68 percent of the vote as the sole candidate to succeed Antonio Urso, who had led Italian weightlifting since 2005. Yet despite that overwhelming initial mandate from member clubs, Miglietta lost the backing of his board and the broader constituency, culminating in the collapse of his governance over statutory reform.

Broader Governance Pressures on CONI

The weightlifting federation crisis lands on an already crowded CONI agenda addressing governance issues across multiple sports bodies, including the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation, the Italian Dance Sport Federation, and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). CONI leadership has approached these various administrative dossiers with caution under the continued influence of Giovanni Malagò.