Malagò and Abete Enter the Race for Italian Federation Presidency

Giovanni Malagò, the former president of the organizing committee for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, has officially announced his candidacy for the presidency of the Italian Football Federation, marking the start of a new electoral race to succeed Gabriele Gravina.

Malagò's candidacy coincides with the entry of Giancarlo Abete, the former president of the Italian Federation, into the race for the same position. The upcoming elections have become open to all possibilities after the seat became vacant following Gravina's resignation in early April, after the Italian national team failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time, following their loss in the European playoffs.

This failure led to a wave of changes within the Italian football system, which also included the resignation of the national team's general manager, Gennaro Gattuso, as well as the departure of legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon from his administrative position.

The elections for the presidency of the Italian Football Federation are scheduled to take place on June 22nd, amid significant anticipation regarding the future of Italian football in the upcoming phase.

Malagò, aged 67, is considered the frontrunner for securing the position, especially after receiving support from Serie A clubs and the players' and coaches' associations, which together represent about 48% of the votes.

The Serie B League, which holds 6% of the votes, also announced its support for Malagò, although its final stance is still contingent on evaluating the candidates' electoral programs.

If he wins the position, the new president's role will not be limited to appointing a new technical staff for the Italian national team. He will also face major challenges related to structural reforms within the federation, alongside the bid to host the 2032 European Championship in partnership with Turkey.

In the same context, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin previously warned that Italy might lose the right to host the tournament due to the deteriorating condition of stadium infrastructure, describing some of them as "among the worst in Europe."