Malagò and Abete set out rival FIGC programmes ahead of June vote
Giovanni Malagò and Giancarlo Abete have filed their manifestos for the FIGC presidential election, setting up a June 22 vote that will shape governance, cost control and infrastructure priorities across Italian football.
Giovanni Malagò and Giancarlo Abete have formally submitted their candidacies and policy documents for the FIGC presidential election on June 22, putting governance reform, financial sustainability and stadium development at the centre of a high-stakes leadership contest.The filings trigger a 40-day campaign period before the Elective Assembly in Rome, with Abete backed by the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti and Malagò endorsed by Lega Serie A.Malagò’s platform is built around system-level growth levers that can lift revenues and competitiveness, with a strong emphasis on youth development, infrastructure and protecting the value of media rights.In his manifesto, Malagò wrote: "The Italian problem isn't a lack of talent. It's the difficulty of converting it into minutes, responsibility, and value."A key element is a national infrastructure push that frames stadium modernisation as an economic multiplier, linking matchday income, fan experience, safety and sponsor appeal to the wider competitiveness of clubs in European competitions.Malagò’s document cites estimates that 31 planned or ongoing new-stadium projects could generate about €5.1bn of investment, deliver additional GDP impact and create significant employment, and argues this should be elevated into a consistent policy agenda.He also sets out a system-resources package focused on broadcast value protection, piracy enforcement, betting-related value capture and fiscal measures that would incentivise investment in facilities and academies.Malagò’s programme references Piracy Shield as a step forward and calls for continued coordination between institutions, rights holders and technology operators to reduce illegal streaming that erodes broadcaster and league economics.Abete’s manifesto takes a sharper institutional line on decision-making power inside the federation, arguing that veto rights and component protection have limited the FIGC’s ability to act in the interests of the wider football pyramid.He proposes a structure where the federation has greater capacity to make system decisions, particularly on league formats and economic sustainability, even when top-tier interests resist change.Abete also calls for a more durable and structured relationship with government and parliament, positioning regulation, tax policy and grassroots support as essential to stabilising the base of the sport alongside professional reform.In his manifesto, Abete highlights the scale of financial stress below the top tier, citing federation reporting that put the professional system’s aggregate loss at around €730m for the 2023–24 season, with the sharpest percentage deficits in Serie B and Serie C.Both candidacies land in a market where stadium delivery timelines, cost inflation, media rights pressures and competitive balance are converging, with the next FIGC president expected to arbitrate between league autonomy and system regulation.The June 22 vote will also coincide with elections for federation councillors, with senior football executives among those seeking roles that can influence commercial and sporting policy over the next cycle.