Italian Olympic Committee (CONI)
President Giovanni Malagò is poised to take over as commissioner
of the Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) after the Italian soccer
world failed to elect a new FIGC president Monday, sources said
Tuesday.
Malagò is reportedly eager to get started and has already
started picking a team, which will reportedly include former AC
Milan and Italy defender Alessandro 'Billy' Costacurta,
currently a Sky analyst.
The first item on the agenda will be picking a new national
coach after Gian Piero Ventura quit after Italy's shock failure
to reach the World Cup.
He was followed soon afterwards by former FIGC President
Carlo Tavecchio.
The soccer world on Monday failed to elect one of three
candidates: amateur league chief Cosimo Sibilia, Italian
Football League chief Gabriele Gravina, and Professional
Footballers' Association chief Damiano Tommasi.
The failure meant an external commissioner had to be named.
As CONI chief, Malagò is the head of all Italian sport.
Former CONI chief Gianni Petrucci, who was FIGC commissioner
in 2000/2001, said "only an eminent CONI figure like Giovanni
Malagò or Roberto Fabbricini can start tackling such a delicate
and complex situation like that of Italian soccer".
"You need a person with great sporting experience for that
job, rather than an external person," Petrucci told Sky Sport.
photo: Malagò (R) with Tavecchio
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