Italy: 18 Serie A clubs out of 20 back Giovanni Malago for FIGC presidency

"18 clubs (out of 20) have chosen Giovanni Malago. The two clubs that did not vote in his favour, SS Lazio and Hellas Verona FC, did so for procedural reasons: they wanted to discuss the programme first and then the candidate," Ezio Simonelli, president of the Lega Serie A, said following a general assembly of the organisation in Milan (ITA) on 13/04/2026.

Gabriele Gravina, president of the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio since October 2018, announced on 02/04/2026 that he would step down and had called an elective general assembly for 22/06/2026. This resignation came two days after Italy’s elimination in the 2026 World Cup play-offs by Bosnia and Herzegovina (1-1, 4-1 on penalties) in Zenica (BIH) on 31/03/2026.

Giovanni Malago, former president of the CONI, currently chairs the “Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026”, the body set up on 09/12/2019 to organise the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Italy.

"Giovanni Malago now meets the requirement set out in the FIGC electoral regulations, namely having secured the backing of at least half plus one of the delegates from a league or…