Malagò and the membership issue: what happened and why the FIGC risks being placed under administration
The matter began with an appeal lodged by Renato Miele, who alleges that the president of the Italian Football Federation did not hold a valid membership card at the time of his candidacy. The final decision now rests with CONI
“I am not afraid of being removed as president of the Italian Football Federation. I am completely at ease; I am a man who has been accustomed for many years to having people who want to undermine the dynamics of popular consensus.” This was the response from Giovanni Malagò, president of the FIGC since June 2026, to questions about the investigations into his lack of membership at the time of his election, which could lead to the Federation being placed under administration.
The story
Immediately following Malagò’s election, Renato Miele, a lawyer and former footballer who had stood as a candidate for the presidency of the FIGC, lodged a formal appeal with the sports tribunal. Miele contested the validity of the process that led to Malagò’s appointment as head of the Federation, accusing him of not holding a valid FIGC membership card at the time of submitting his candidacy – a mandatory requirement for eligibility under the Federation’s Statutes.
Giuseppe Chinè, head of the FIGC’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, had, however, asked the CONI General Public Prosecutor’s Office to dismiss the investigation. The request was rejected by the General Public Prosecutor for Sport, Ugo Taucer, on 8 September. The request to close the investigation had reached the General Prosecutor’s Office just a few days earlier, accompanied by several dozen pages of supporting documentation.
Chinè’s conclusions, it is understood, were based on a precise interpretation of the Federal Statutes: by ‘being in good standing with regard to membership’, in fact, this is understood to mean not an obligation to hold a federal membership card at the time of submitting one’s candidacy – which Malagò did not have, unlike some of his recent predecessors, including Giancarlo Abete – but compliance with the rules and requirements for membership for those who already hold a FIGC membership card. The same interpretation had been accepted by Taucer years ago when he dismissed proceedings against a regional councillor and subsequently when he rejected a complaint against Gabriele Gravina. In this case, however, the Attorney General considered that further investigation and clarification were required.
The ball is now in CONI’s court
The final say on the case will rest with CONI. This was decided by the Attorney General for Sport, Ugo Taucer, who closed his investigation into Malagò but, at the same time, asked the Olympic Committee to verify whether or not the Federation had failed to comply with the fundamental principles of its statutes during the elections held on 22 June.
