Malagò chaos as FIGC risk of Special Commissioner over election paperwork

FIGC President Giovanni Malago (left) with coach Roberto Mancini (right): @coppa_canottieri via Instagram.

The FIGC could be placed under a special commissioner after the legal battle over Giovanni Malagò’s election took another twist. ‘It’s absurd,’ warned predecessor Gabriele Gravina.

The situation is spiralling out of control, three months after Malagò won a landslide election to become the new President of the Italian Football Federation on June 22.

It was pointed out that he was not registered as a member of the FIGC before his candidacy, because he had until then been with the CONI (Italian Olympic Committee, which oversees all Italian sport).

He therefore lacked the legal right to be put forward as a candidate for the FIGC, a scenario that has gone through several appeals already.

Malagò election could be voided

It took another twist because current CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio announced that they have no choice but to void the election.

“In light of what was acknowledged by Attorney General Ugo Taucer, it is indisputably established that Malagò was not registered at the time of his application.

“If the FIGC had intended to waive this requirement, it should have expressly provided for it. As valid membership must be one of the requirements for eligibility to federal bodies, whether elective or appointed, the FIGC appears to have violated these fundamental principles.”

The Consiglio Nazionale body will now discuss the matter, and could well void the election, putting the Federation under a Special Commissioner.

It is unlikely to happen until after Italy’s match against Turkiye on October 5, to avoid repercussions on Roberto Mancini’s tenure as coach, seeing as he was appointed by Malagò.

It does further create chaos around a Federation that is trying to prepare for co-hosting duties of EURO 2032 and dealing with a crisis of results after failing to qualify for three World Cup tournaments in a row.

“This is absurd,” noted former FIGC President Gravina.

“The credibility of Italian football must be defended from repeated invasions from those outside, who seemingly on a cyclical basis try to undermine the autonomy of the Federation.

“It’s absurd just to think that the FIGC could be put under a Special Commissioner purely for this reason. There needs to be more respect for the Federation, President Malagò and its components.”