CONI Orders Emergency Leadership Overhaul and Sets December 14 Election for Italian Football Federation
Giovanni Malagò has been named extraordinary commissioner of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), stepping in to govern the sport and oversee a new leadership vote scheduled for December 14, 2026, at the Hotel Hilton in Fiumicino, according to reports by ANSA. The emergency intervention follows a unanimous vote by the 315th extraordinary national council of the Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (CONI) at the Foro Italico, capping weeks of political friction and procedural disputes over Malagò’s initial election to the federation’s presidency in June.
Procedural Cavils and the Fight Over Federation Autonomy
The extraordinary measure by CONI stemmed from an administrative dispute regarding Malagò’s candidacy, which he won with 65.58 percent of the vote. Il Post reports that CONI’s council targeted a technicality involving FIGC statute requirements, which mandate that presidential candidates hold active federation membership. Malagò secured the presidency without holding an active FIGC card—a status historically shared by former federation presidents such as Gabriele Gravina and Giancarlo Abete during portions of their tenures. CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio defended the intervention, stating that Malagò was the victim of an administrative malfunction while simultaneously asserting that the compromise averted direct government intervention in sports governance.
Timeline for the December 14 Electoral Assembly
As extraordinary commissioner, Malagò holds executive authority to manage the FIGC’s daily operations and supervise its administrative apparatus ahead of the upcoming ballot. CONI’s official council resolution requires the extraordinary elective assembly to convene before January 31, 2027, with the election date officially fixed for December 14, 2026. The Lega Serie A has reiterated its backing for Malagò as he prepares to transition the governing body back to elected leadership, marking the eleventh time CONI has placed the Italian football federation under extraordinary commissionership.
Why Giovanni Malagò Became FIGC Commissioner
Why was Giovanni Malagò appointed commissioner of the FIGC if he was already president?
CONI placed the FIGC under emergency commissioner management due to a procedural irregularity concerning Malagò’s membership status at the time of his June election. Appointing him commissioner allows him to correct the administrative flaw while managing the transition to a fresh vote.
When and where will the new FIGC presidential election take place?
The extraordinary elective assembly is scheduled for December 14, 2026, beginning at 11:00 AM at the Hotel Hilton in Fiumicino, as mandated by the CONI council.
How many times has the Italian football federation been placed under commissionership?
The appointment of Malagò as extraordinary commissioner makes him the eleventh commissioner in the history of the FIGC, following previous interventions prompted by missed World Cup qualifications, major sporting scandals, and governance stalemates.
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