Not everyone is convinced. “If they could, they would shoot Malagò between the eyes,” joked a second former Italian sports official.
Last-ditch plot
With less than a week to go until the election, the government’s dream of placing the FIGC under administration is losing steam.
Formally, the authority to do so rests with CONI, not with the government. Besides, the conditions that warrant such a move — such as serious misconduct or the disruption to the smooth running of football tournaments — haven’t been met.
Abodi encouraged the FIGC to spontaneously call for a special administration after “having acknowledged the system’s inability to reform itself.” But that’s unlikely to happen.
The government’s last resort to block Malagò’s bid is a legal review into whether his appointment breaches conflict of interest rules due to his previous, recent experience at CONI.
Meloni’s administration has tasked an independent anti-corruption body and the Olympic Committee to look into the matter before the June 22 election, but the two former football officials said the challenge is unlikely to succeed.
In a world, though, where political friendship often matters more than individual merit, Malagò’s strained relationship with the Meloni government risks being a major liability going forward.
“Whoever wins, I hope that relations with politics will not be a handicap for them, as they have been for me,” Gravina sighed.