The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) finds itself at a crossroads, with the presidential election on June 22 carrying enormous weight for the future of the men's national team. Giovanni Malagò, the former head of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) and a leading candidate to lead the FIGC, used his platform on Sky to quell the growing rumor mill surrounding the next commissario tecnico. His message was unequivocal: focus on the institutional reset rather than individual names.
Malagò’s comments come in the aftermath of what he termed the “disastro di Zenica”—a catastrophic night that saw Italy’s hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup evaporate and, more broadly, the national team vanish from the international football scene. The defeat in Bosnia and Herzegovina represented yet another low point for a nation that missed the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and now faces a prolonged period in the wilderness. With the Azzurri’s absence from the global stage, the pressure to appoint the right coach has never been higher.
“I think that only an irresponsible person could anticipate something today,” Malagò told Sky. “We need to have an elective outcome and understand the availability. On one thing I have no doubt: if I have this burden and honor, it should be someone who embraces a path where everyone must put themselves on the line.” The comments were a direct rebuke to media outlets that have linked both Claudio Ranieri and Antonio Conte to the role, with the latter set to leave Napoli at the end of the season.
Ranieri, the beloved 74-year-old who famously led Leicester City to the Premier League title and recently guided Cagliari, remains a sentimental favorite among many tifosi. Conte, meanwhile, is the proven winner who transformed Juventus and Inter Milan before his Naples tenure, but his club-focused, high-intensity approach may not align with the long-term project Malagò envisions. The FIGC candidate stressed that the next coach cannot be evaluated “with the normal judgments that a coach might make regarding the club market,” signaling a desire for someone committed to rebuilding from the ground up.
This national team project is not just about finding a head coach; it’s about resurrecting a football culture that has underperformed on the world stage. Italy’s back-to-back World Cup qualifications failures have exposed structural issues, from youth development to the transition of talent into the senior side. Whoever takes the reins will need to work with a generation of players who have yet to prove themselves in major tournaments, making the role a long-term commitment rather than a quick fix.
Malagò’s own political future adds another layer of uncertainty. The cooling-off period clause that could render him ineligible has been a talking point, but he dismissed those concerns, stating, “The facts are clear from many points of view.” If elected, he would immediately be thrust into the decision of choosing the next CT—a choice that could define his presidency and the trajectory of Italian football for the next cycle.
Beyond the men’s game, Malagò also touched on the growth of women’s football in Italy, calling it “a movement of great growth and great personality.” He emphasized the duty to attract stakeholders and expand the audience, hinting that his FIGC agenda would include a strong push for visibility and investment in the women’s game. This dual focus reflects the modern demands on a federation president, but the immediate priority remains fixing the men’s senior team.
As the FIGC election draws near, the noise around potential coaches will only intensify. Yet Malagò’s intervention serves as a reminder that the process starts with governance, not gossip. His insistence on a project-oriented approach suggests that glamorous names may not be enough; the new FIGC leadership will demand a cultural transformation that aligns with a sustainable vision.
Italian football now waits for June 22, when the new FIGC president will be elected and the real work can begin. In the meantime, the names of Conte and Ranieri will continue to swirl, but their fate depends on a candidate who has made it clear that patience and planning will trump haste. The disaster in Zenica cannot be undone, but the response to it will shape Italy’s footballing identity for years to come.
Based on reporting from Tuttosport.