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CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ITALY – MARCH 15: Giovanni Malago, President of the Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 delivers a speech during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games closing ceremony at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium on March 15, 2026 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
According to LaGazzetta dello Sport, only Giovanni Malago, 67, and Giancarlo Abete, 75, will run to replace Gabriele Gravina as the FIGC President, with no former Italian player in the race.
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Malagò and Abete are expected to be the only candidates at the FIGC Presidential election on June 22.
Ex-Italy stars not running for FIGC Presidency
Neither has confirmed their nomination yet, but Malagò is the candidate formally picked by Lega Serie A, while the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti (LND) has chosen its President, Abete.
The latter already served as the FIGC President from 2007 to 2014.
As previously reported, votes from Serie A clubs represent 18% of the FIGC Presidential election, significantly lower than the LND’s 34%.
However, any candidate needs a majority of the votes (51%) to be elected, so Malagò and Abete have already begun talks with other members of the voting panel.
Umberto Calcagno, the President of the Italian Players Association (which accounts for 20% of the votes), and Renzo Ulivieri, President of the Italian Coaches Association (10%), reportedly met with Malagò in Rome on Wednesday, and Abete will do the same today.
Both Abete and Malagò have yet to unveil their official programme for the next four years, but Calcagno and Ulivieri have already made some proposals, including tightening the criteria for national licenses so that only those who can truly afford a season financially are admitted to domestic leagues.
According to Gazzetta, the Italian Players Association (AIC) will not indicate any of its delegates, a former Italian footballer, as a possible contender for the FIGC Presidency.
Over the last few weeks, the media indicated the likes of Alessandro Del Piero, Paolo Maldini and Demetrio Albertini as possible contenders for the role.
However, it seemed a bit far-fetched to envision them running for the Presidency, as a former player has never led the Italian FA.
The Gazzetta report claims that AIC would have gladly had one of their representatives involved in the election, but only if he had been picked by one of the other components.
Yet, Abete has confirmed that he wants to run for the FIGC Presidency, so the Players and Coaches’ Associations won’t propose any other candidate, also to facilitate either Abete or Malagò reaching 51%.
Serie B and Lega Pro (Serie C) have also scheduled meetings with Malagò and Abete in the coming days.
ByLorenzo Bettoni
Lorenzo Bettoni is the Editor of Football Italia.
