Petrecca is seen as close to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and her political opponents were quick to capitalize on the backlash.
The Democratic Party said in a statement that “the Olympics are a time of utmost responsibility for public service broadcasting” and denounced the telecast as an example of Rai TV at its worst, calling it “Telemeloni” — or Meloni TV.
Usigrai, the union representing journalists at Rai, welcomed Petrecca’s resignation but noted that “responsibilities remained” at the leadership level for putting him in charge of Rai Sport. That decision has caused enormous damage to the broadcaster’s reputation, they argued.
Petrecca has yet to speak publicly since the announcement, although earlier on Thursday he shared a cryptic Instagram story that referred to a passage from the Bible in which Jesus, speaking at the Last Supper, tells his disciples that “one of you will betray me.”