Giovanni Malagò new president of Italian football association FIGC

Giovanni Malagò has been officially appointed as the new president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) following a vote in the Federal Assembly. The appointment follows the recent resignation of Gabriele Gravina, which took place after once again failing to qualify for the Football World Cup. Malagò, former president of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), won convincingly with 68.58% of the votes, leaving rival candidate Giancarlo Abete behind.

During his first press conference as chairman, Malagò answered questions about his relationship with AS Roma. The new FIGC president openly admitted that he is a supporter of the Roman club: "There is nothing worse than denying your own history, especially when it concerns family. During my thirteen years as president of CONI, I have always acted as an institution. As president, my professionalism is the most important, without hypocrisy."


Malagò indicated that you do not have to hide your club loyalty to fulfill your position correctly: "Should you no longer express yourself in the stadium? I think that is a narrow-minded approach. Look at examples such as Prince William at Aston Villa or Obama at the Chicago Bulls. It is about how you behave, but you do not have to deny your club feeling."

Malagò's appointment is seen as a new chapter for Italian football, which is looking to recover after the painful elimination in World Cup qualifying.