According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the controversy surrounding the registration eligibility of Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina during his candidacy continues, and there is the possibility that the Italian Football Federation could be placed under administration by a special commissioner. Currently, approximately two-thirds of the members of the Italian National Olympic Committee's Executive Board appear to support Gravina, but many disputes persist, including why sports prosecutor Ugo Taucer did not take immediate action earlier, and whether Gravina's failure to complete the relevant registration truly constitutes a "serious violation" sufficient to warrant intervention in the Federation.

Now, all eyes are on the upcoming board meeting, where a chairman and 16 members, more or less welcomed, will sit together. The fate of Giovanni Malagò and the Italian Football Federation rests in the hands of the Italian National Olympic Committee's Executive Board, which was elected more than a year ago. The President of the Italian Olympic Committee, Luciano Buonfiglio, presides over the Executive Board, with two Vice Presidents: Diana Bianchedi, who also serves as interim president as seen previously in the delegation chief incident, and Marco Di Paola from the Italian Equestrian Federation.

The Executive Board also includes sports administrators, athletes, coaches, and representatives from regional committees, local committees, and sports promotion organizations, General Secretary Carlo Mornati, and two members of the International Olympic Committee: Federica Pellegrini and Malagò himself.

Malagò has spent 12 years in this environment and is very familiar with the people and issues. Among those who will ultimately decide whether to appoint a special commissioner to take over the Italian Football Federation due to the registration eligibility issue, he has very close relationships with many of them. Some could even be called friendships. However, just two days ago, Malagò himself, referring mainly to Buonfiglio, said: "I am under attack from friendly forces."

Rather than discuss these relationships, let us return to the substance of this extremely complex matter. Currently, it appears that approximately two-thirds of the Executive Board members support Malagò. It should be noted that the possibility of appointing a special commissioner to take over the Italian Football Federation stems from a previous letter by sports prosecutor Ugo Taucer to the Italian Olympic Committee, in which he stated that the Italian Football Federation violated the fundamental principles of the Committee itself, which could constitute a "serious violation of sporting order confirmed by the governing body of a sports organization" as provided in the relevant regulations, and this is one of the conditions for special intervention in a sports association.

Many questions remain unanswered

Setting aside personal relationships, many members of the Italian Olympic Committee's Executive Board believe that the interpretations previously made on multiple occasions by Italian Football Federation prosecutor Giuseppe Chinè regarding registration regulations—namely, Article 29, Paragraph 1 of the Italian Football Federation Statute—should not be underestimated. More importantly, they are also aware that Taucer believes candidates must possess relevant registration status, whose purpose is to ensure that a person truly belongs to the field they wish to represent.

However, in the case of the Italian Football Federation, this affiliation has been largely guaranteed by the requirements for candidate registration. When submitting their candidacy application, candidates must obtain official support from at least 50% plus one member of a constituent body.

This is also a matter of common sense

Even assuming that Marco Brunelli, the General Secretary of the Italian Football Federation, made an error in confirming Gravina's eligibility because he did not explicitly state the Federation's interpretation of this regulation—an interpretation that has been long accepted within the Federation and has had at least two prior precedents, including the 2021 case of the Lombardy Committee of the National Amateur Football League—is it an overreaction to impose special intervention on the entire Italian Football Federation simply for this reason?

Is this violation truly "serious" as required by the Italian Olympic Committee's statutes for special interventions?

Why was no action taken earlier?

Many also have another question: why did no one take action before? Or, more precisely, why was no objection filed to Malagò's candidacy within the seven days of his announcement, as stipulated by the Italian Olympic Committee's statutes?

An excluded candidate can file an objection, and an eligible candidate can do the same. The prosecution department of the Italian Football Federation also has the right to file an objection. Chinè's inaction is understandable, as he consistently maintained throughout the incident that, in his opinion, approving Malagò's candidacy was correct.

But the problem lies with Taucer. Taucer later wrote a strongly worded report on the Italian Football Federation, stating that relevant registration status was clearly necessary. So why did he not pursue this objection procedure at that time?

Had he done so at that moment, this problem could have been resolved within the prescribed period, and no one would have the opportunity to accuse this incident of being used as some kind of tool, as is happening today.

Executive Board members under pressure

It is clear that the members of the Italian Olympic Committee's Executive Board now feel the pressure, and the situation still has the potential to change. Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi stated from the outset that he was a "careful observer" of this matter, while emphasizing: "Everyone is aware of the sporting rules, regardless of how much margin for interpretation these rules allow."

Additionally, lawyer Renato Miele sent a formal warning letter. It was Miele's previous exclusion from the Italian Football Federation's presidential election that triggered this entire incident. In his letter, he reminded those who will decide Malagò's future that they are "individuals who have public service responsibilities."

Therefore, the tension is clearly present before the possible vote takes place.

Final decision likely in early October

So when will this important Executive Board meeting take place regarding whether to appoint a special commissioner to take over the Italian Football Federation? Buonfiglio has tasked a team of "recognized legal experts" with conducting an in-depth study of the entire matter.

These legal experts appear to have begun their work. As Buonfiglio himself stated at Tuesday's Executive Board meeting: "I hope to be able to report to you the results of the in-depth legal study as soon as possible."

Current information indicates that all decisions will likely be made in the first week of October, probably after the Italian national team completes its final Nations League match against Turkey on October 5. However, emotions could escalate rapidly a week before the official meeting, starting from the day the meeting notice is issued. Of course, everyone hopes that the Italian national team will not be disrupted by this and can focus on their own match.

Traducido por IA.

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