According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, only Giovanni Malagò, aged 67, and Giancarlo Abete, aged 75, are set to contend for the position of FIGC President, with no former Italian football players among the candidates.
Malagò and Abete are anticipated to be the sole contenders in the upcoming FIGC Presidential election scheduled for June 22.
Ex-Italy Stars Not Pursuing FIGC Presidency
While neither candidate has officially confirmed their nomination yet, Malagò is the chosen nominee of Lega Serie A, and the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti (LND) has put forward its President, Abete.
Abete has prior experience as FIGC President, having served in the role from 2007 to 2014.
As previously indicated, the votes from Serie A clubs constitute 18% of the FIGC Presidential election’s total, a significantly lower proportion compared to the LND’s 34% share.
However, securing a majority of the votes (51%) is essential for election. Consequently, Malagò and Abete have initiated discussions with representatives from other voting bodies.
Umberto Calcagno, the President of the Italian Players Association (which holds 20% of the votes), and Renzo Ulivieri, President of the Italian Coaches Association (representing 10% of the votes), reportedly met with Malagò in Rome on Wednesday. Abete is scheduled to hold similar discussions today.
Both Abete and Malagò have yet to release their official four-year program proposals. However, Calcagno and Ulivieri have put forth certain recommendations, including a more stringent application of criteria for national licenses, ensuring that only entities with genuine financial capacity can participate in domestic leagues.
According to Gazzetta, the Italian Players Association (AIC) will not be nominating any of its delegates, particularly former Italian footballers, as potential candidates for the FIGC Presidency.
In recent weeks, media outlets had speculated about the potential candidacy of figures such as Alessandro Del Piero, Paolo Maldini, and Demetrio Albertini. Nevertheless, their potential involvement in the presidential race seemed unlikely, given that no former player has ever headed the Italian FA.
The Gazzetta report suggests that the AIC would have welcomed the participation of one of their representatives in the election, but only if they had been selected by one of the other constituent bodies.
However, Abete has affirmed his intention to run for the FIGC Presidency. Consequently, the Players and Coaches’ Associations will refrain from proposing any alternative candidates, also to support either Abete or Malagò in achieving the required 51% majority.
Serie B and Lega Pro (Serie C) are also slated to hold meetings with Malagò and Abete in the forthcoming days.