Rome: The extraordinary general assembly of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), meeting in Rome, elected Giovanni Malago as its new president on Monday.
According to Qatar News Agency, Malago, the former president of the Italian National Olympic Committee and the organizing committee for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, secured 68.58 percent of the vote. He defeated his rival Giancarlo Abete, a representative of amateur soccer and the federation's president from 2007 to 2014, who received 29.17 percent.
Malago succeeds Gabriele Gravina, who had led the federation since 2018. Gravina resigned following Italy's national team's loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European playoff final for the 2026 World Cup, which ended 1-1 after extra time and 1-4 on penalties, on March 31.
Malago is expected to tackle several challenges, including selecting a new national team coach to replace Gennaro Gattuso. He will also need to implement reforms to the youth development system, which has been criticized for the national team's decline and its absence from three consecutive World Cups. Additionally, Malago will oversee preparations for the 2032 European Championship, which Italy will co-host with Turkiye.