The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) will elect a new president today as Giovanni Malago and Giancarlo Abete compete to lead the governing body through a period of crisis. The vote takes place at the Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Rome, with 516 delegates casting electronic secret ballots to determine who will succeed Gabriele Gravina.
The election follows Gravina’s resignation in March 2026, which came immediately after Italy suffered a World Cup play-off final defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The loss condemned the four-time world champions to miss a third consecutive World Cup tournament, prompting a complete overhaul of the federation’s leadership.
Leadership vacuum
The World Cup failure triggered a broader exodus from the national team setup. Head coach Gennaro Gattuso and delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon both stepped down from their roles following the defeat. The FIGC has been unable to appoint permanent replacements for either position pending the election of a new president, leaving the Azzurri in a state of administrative limbo heading into the next international cycle.
The candidates
Malago, aged 67, enters the contest as the favourite according to morning newspaper reports. He previously served as president of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) from 2013 until 2025, giving him substantial experience in Italian sports administration.
His opponent, 75-year-old Abete, currently leads the National Amateur Leagues (LND) and is seeking a second term as FIGC president having previously held the position between 2007 and 2014.
Voting structure
The winner must secure “50 per cent plus one” of the votes to take office. The 516 delegates represent various stakeholder groups within Italian football:
- Serie A: 20 delegates (18% of votes)
- Players’ Association: 52 delegates (20% of votes)
- Lega Pro (Serie C): 57 delegates (12% of votes)
- Coaches’ Association: 26 delegates (10% of votes)
Both candidates will present their programmes to the FIGC Assembly before voting begins. The successful candidate will face the immediate task of appointing a new national team coach and rebuilding Italian football’s international reputation after the World Cup qualification failure.