A viral photograph from the Italy-Belgium match exposed visible tension between FIGC President Giovanni Malagò, CONI President Luciano Bonfiglio and Sports Minister Andrea Abodi as the Italian federation faces the prospect of being placed under special administration.
Giovanni Malagò’s time as President of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) could end after less than four months, with multiple sources indicating the body is set to be placed under special commissioner control. The issue stems from the fact that Malagò was not a formal FIGC member when he was elected on 22 June, meaning the vote that brought him to power could be declared invalid.
According to Corriere della Sera, CONI President Luciano Bonfiglio intends to convene the CONI board on 7 October to address the matter. His plan is reportedly to place the FIGC under special administration and trigger fresh elections, which by rule cannot take place earlier than 60 days later, pushing a new vote towards the end of 2026 or the start of 2027.
The dispute became strikingly visible during Italy’s match against Belgium, where a photograph of Malagò, Bonfiglio and Sports Minister Andrea Abodi together has since gone viral on social media. Abodi is understood to support CONI’s move to remove Malagò from his post, and the three men were pictured looking notably strained as they attended the game together.
“You only had to look at their tense faces to sense how delicate the moment was,” wrote Corriere della Sera, adding that “apparently, the three barely spoke to one another.”
Speaking on Friday at the match, Bonfiglio was measured in his comments, stating: “You have to respect the rules that I don’t decide.” His stance reflects CONI’s position that procedural requirements around FIGC membership must be honoured, regardless of the political fallout.
Malagò, for his part, is preparing to contest the decision on multiple fronts, according to Corriere. He is expected to first appeal to the CONI Guarantee Board and, should that fail, escalate the matter to the Regional Administrative Court. Earlier this month he defended himself robustly, saying: “Now, I’m under attack because of an electoral procedure for which I am not only not to blame, but a victim.” He added: “I was the President of CONI for 12 years, and I am the only individual member of the IOC, but now, suddenly, the issue is that someone says I was not registered.”
Even if his appeals are unsuccessful, Malagò is said to be determined to stand again in any fresh presidential election, though it remains uncertain whether he would prevail a second time. The saga leaves Italian football’s governing body in a state of uncertainty just as the national team continues its competitive commitments, with the power struggle at the top of the FIGC now playing out in full public view.
