The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) will elect a new president on December 14. The decision was announced after the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) took over temporarily, and the upcoming General Assembly will be the federation's second elective assembly in 2026.
“The new elections for the FIGC president will be called for December 14“, Giovanni Malago said after the CONI National Council meeting, quoted by the Italian news agency ANSA.
Malago remains in charge until the new vote
The re-election came after CONI took over the FIGC due to a dispute over Malago's election. He was elected president in June, succeeding Gabriele Gravina, who resigned after Italy's play-off defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the team's subsequent elimination from the World Cup.
Malago's election was contested because he was not registered with the federation at the time of the General Assembly. CONI appointed Malago as general secretary and left him in charge of Italian football until the new vote.
The Italian Olympic Committee cited irregularities in the verification of the candidacy and the way in which the federal authorities had allowed Malago to participate in the elections as the reason for the intervention. The interim measure does not remove Malago from office, but calls into question the regularity of the June elections.
Federal council elections also to be held
According to Italian media, the meeting will be held in Rome, and in addition to the president, a new federal council will be elected. The nominations must undergo a new vetting process before being presented to delegates.
Malago is the clear favorite for the post. “Gazzetta dello Sport“ reported that the former CONI president is expected to be the only candidate after receiving support from the main football components. “Corriere dello Sport“ confirmed the date of December 14 and indicated that the elections are part of the procedure to restore the regular management of the federation.
The vote will take place against the backdrop of a difficult year for Italian football. The national team failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, and the dispute over the presidential election has deepened the management instability in the federation.
Sources: bta.bg, ansa.it, gazzetta.it