Paolo Petrecca, the director of the sports editorial office of the Italian public broadcaster RAI, has submitted his resignation. This decision follows a wave of criticism and protests from journalists after his performance as a commentator for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina. Petrecca, associated with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's party, committed a series of glaring gaffes, mistakes in identifying guests, and controversial remarks of a nationalistic and sexual nature.

Series of embarrassing gaffes

Petrecca confused Matilda De Angelis with Mariah Carey and made inappropriate comments about sexy Spaniards and Chinese people with phones.

Rebellion within RAI editorial staff

Sports journalists announced a three-day strike after the Games, calling the director's performance a disgrace for the broadcaster.

Symbolic resignation gesture

The director quotes the Gospel on Instagram, suggesting betrayal by his colleagues after announcing his resignation.

Paolo Petrecca, the head of sport at Italian public television RAI, has officially resigned from his position following a series of disastrous mistakes made during the live broadcast of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games opening ceremony. During the multi-hour broadcast from Milan, the director repeatedly embarrassed himself due to a lack of substantive preparation. The most glaring mistakes included confusing Italian actress Matilda De Angelis with American star Mariah Carey and mistakenly presenting Kirsty Coventry, the serving Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission, as the daughter of the President of Italy. The situation was worsened by inappropriate comments about the appearance of Spanish athletes (described as "always sexy") and stereotypical remarks directed at the Chinese delegation. The reaction from the journalistic community was immediate and decisive. The Usigrai trade union described the director's performance as "the worst humiliation in the history of Rai Sport" and threatened a strike that would cover the final days of the Games. Under internal and external pressure, Petrecca made himself available to the RAI Director General, Giampaolo Rossi. According to an official statement, he will step down after the conclusion of the ongoing event. The Italian public broadcaster RAI has for years been at the center of political debates concerning its independence. Paolo Petrecca was considered a close ally of the ruling right-wing coalition, and his appointment in March 2025 was seen by the opposition as part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government's ideological offensive in public media. After announcing his resignation, Petrecca published a telling post on Instagram, which poured fuel on the fire. He posted an image depicting St. Matthew with a quote from the Gospel: "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me," which was widely interpreted as an accusation of disloyalty by his colleagues and a feeling of being "crucified" by the editorial staff. Temporary leadership of Rai Sport will be taken over by Marco Lollobrigida. Popular comedian Maurizio Crozza has already prepared satire about the director's downfall, calling the series of blunders a "special kind of embarrassment." Rai Sport, Usigrai, Brothers of Italy.

Mentioned People

  • Paolo Petrecca — Outgoing director of Rai Sport, embroiled in a commentary scandal.
  • Marco Lollobrigida — Journalist who will temporarily take over the duties of director of Rai Sport.
  • Giampaolo Rossi — Director General of the Italian public broadcaster RAI.
  • Matilda De Angelis — Italian actress mistakenly identified during the broadcast as Mariah Carey.