It’s a complete knife fight at the top of Italian sports governance right now, with reports screaming that CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio is staring down the barrel: he could lose his job if his big play to oust FIGC President Giovanni Malagò blows up in his face. It’s a wild “if not one than the other” situation unfolding at the highest levels.
The Malagò Mess: Less Than Four Months and Already in Trouble
Can you believe this? Giovanni Malagò only got appointed as the head of the Italian FA, the FIGC, back in June after Gabriele Gravina resigned. That’s less than four months ago! And he’s already facing a very real possibility of having to step down. The problem? Malagò was technically ineligible to even run for the Presidency. He was the President of CONI, the Italian Olympic Committee, before this, but he wasn’t a registered member of the FIGC at the time of the election. What a mess.
Buonfiglio’s High-Stakes Gamble Could Cost Him Everything
Current CONI President Buonfiglio has publicly called out Malagò’s ineligibility, and he’s set to call a CONI board meeting on October 7 to hash it all out. If Malagò gets the boot, the FIGC is going into emergency special administration until new elections can happen, likely not until late 2026 or early 2027. Malagò could try to run again, but it’s looking way tougher now. But here’s the kicker, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the “Pink Paper” itself: if Buonfiglio can’t get Malagò removed, his own position as CONI President becomes untenable. Both of these guys are in a total bind.
This saga is far from over. It’s too early to call the definitive outcome, but you know both Malagò and Buonfiglio are spending every waking minute counting up those potential votes. October 7 is going to be absolutely wild.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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