Giovanni Malagò has been formally elected as the new President of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), beating Giancarlo Abete to succeed Gabriele Gravina.
“It is with profound emotion that I take on this sense of responsibility,” said the new President.
“I cannot do anything alone, but with you, I can do anything.”
ROME, ITALY – DECEMBER 15: CONI President Giovanni Malago’ attends the Italian Olympic Commitee ‘Collari d’Oro’ Awards ceremony on December 15, 2015 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
The election was held today in Rome at the headquarters of the FIGC, with 274 delegates representing various elements of the Italian football ecosystem.
Malagò won at the first vote with 68.58 per cent, while Abete received 29.17 per cent of the total, and 2.25 per cent was down to blank ballots.
Malagò to take on FIGC problems
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ITALY – MARCH 15: Giovanni Malago, President of Milano Cortina 2026 waves during the medal ceremonies for the Men’s Slalom events on day nine of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre on March 15, 2026 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
Not all votes are equal, because the Lega Serie A is worth 18 per cent, Serie B just 6 per cent, Lega Pro/Serie C 12 per cent, the LND (amateur leagues) a massive 34 per cent, the Players’ Association 20 per cent, and Coaches’ Association 10 per cent.
The winner needed to amass at least 50 per cent of the vote, and as the current President of the LND, Abete could count on their 34 per cent from the get-go.
However, most of the others put their weight behind 67-year-old Malagò, who had been President of the CONI (Italian Olympic Committee) from 2013 to 2025, then was in charge of putting on the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina in 2026.
Gravina resigned in the wake of Italy’s historic failure to reach a third consecutive edition of the World Cup, so the first big task for Malagò will be choosing a new coach for the Nazionale.
