Italy's football federation votes for new president today: Malagò heavy favourite over Abete
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) holds its presidential election today at the Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria, with former CONI chief Giovanni Malagò widely expected to defeat Giancarlo Abete and succeed the resigned Gabriele Gravina.
The vote today
Delegates gather this morning at the Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria hotel for an assembly that will choose the next president of the FIGC. The election is the final act of a crisis triggered by Italy's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, the third consecutive miss for the Azzurri. Gabriele Gravina resigned on 2 April, days after the decisive defeat in Bosnia, and the federation has been racing toward this ballot ever since.
- Gabriele Gravina resigns as FIGC president after Italy's World Cup qualification failure.
- Anti-corruption authority ANAC clears Giovanni Malagò's eligibility, removing the 'pantouflage' obstacle.
- Electoral assembly convenes at the Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria to choose the new president.
The candidates and their support
Giovanni Malagò, the former president of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), enters the vote with a coalition that gives him a theoretical floor of 54 percent of the weighted assembly. He has secured the backing of Serie A (18 percent of the vote), Serie B (6 percent), the players' association AIC (20 percent) and the coaches' association AIAC (10 percent). Giancarlo Abete, the current head of the National Amateur League (LND) and FIGC president from 2007 to 2014, can count on most of the LND's 34 percent share. The 12 percent held by Lega Pro, which has not publicly endorsed either candidate, is the swing bloc. Projections see Malagò reaching 70 percent, with part of Lega Pro expected to support him.
I want to play it out until the end.
The electoral system
The assembly comprises 274 delegates casting 516 weighted votes. Serie A's 20 delegates each carry a weight of 4.644, while the 99 LND delegates each weigh 1.772. A candidate needs an absolute majority (half plus one) to win. Up to three rounds of secret electronic voting are permitted. The first call is at 8:30, the second at 11:00.
- Serie A
- 18 %
- Serie B
- 6 %
- Lega Pro
- 12 %
- LND
- 34 %
- AIC (players)
- 20 %
- AIAC (coaches)
- 10 %
Immediate priorities
Whoever wins will have to move quickly on several fronts. Malagò's 23-page programme, "United for the future of Italian football", stresses financial sustainability for professional clubs, growth of commercial and international revenues, a revision of audiovisual rights distribution, greater managerial autonomy for the leagues (especially Serie A), and investment in modern stadiums. Abete's platform focuses on strengthening grassroots football, a gradual reform of the leagues, and support for amateur clubs and territories.
The coaching decision
The new president's first urgent task is appointing a head coach for the national team. Malagò has said he has ideas but has not contacted anyone out of respect for the electorate. Roberto Mancini's name is rising in the shortlist, though a surprise candidate is not ruled out. World Cup winners Daniele De Rossi and Fabio Grosso had been admired, but both are now under contract at Genoa and Fiorentina respectively.
