Serie A backs Malagò for FIGC vote as Lazio calls for commissioner-led overhaul

Italy’s top-flight clubs have lined up behind Giovanni Malagò as the leading candidate to succeed Gabriele Gravina as FIGC president, setting up a June 22 election that will shape governance and commercial strategy after a fresh national-team crisis.A Lega Serie A meeting in Milan backed the former Italian Olympic Committee chief, with 18 of 20 clubs supporting Malagò as the preferred option for the upcoming vote.Lazio and Hellas Verona abstained, underlining a fault line between clubs seeking a swift appointment and those arguing the federation needs structural change before any new president takes office.Claudio Lotito, Lazio’s president, said: “The problem with Malagò is not the name, that is irrelevant.“If something isn’t working, it has to be restructured, right? This system was built on a law set in stone 45 years ago, so as long as that law and that system is in place…“We need to redesign everything from top to bottom, which means we need to nominate a special commissioner.”Gravina’s resignation followed Italy’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, a result that has intensified pressure on the federation’s leadership and operating model.The next FIGC president will also inherit an urgent sporting and operational decision, with the new leadership expected to oversee the appointment of the next Italy head coach ahead of the EURO 2028 and Nations League schedule starting in September.Malagò led the Italian Olympic Committee from 2013 to 2025 and is viewed by many clubs as a consensus administrator who can stabilise the federation’s relationships with stakeholders across the professional game.Lotito’s commissioner proposal would effectively place the FIGC under a temporary caretaker with powers to implement radical reforms without needing to build a voting majority inside the existing structures.The concept has precedent, as Malagò previously served as FIGC special commissioner in 2018 when the FIGC and Lega Serie A were unable to agree on leadership appointments.The nomination window runs until May 13, giving potential alternative candidates time to enter the race before the June 22 election that will determine the federation’s next governance direction.