Italian football presidency race heads to court as Galliani challenges election process

The contest to become president of the Italian Football Federation has moved beyond rival candidates and Serie A alliances, with a legal dispute over the legitimacy of the committee examining applications threatening to disrupt the election timetable. A separate disagreement over Genoa’s change of support has added further uncertainty ahead of the vote scheduled for 14 December.

The Italian Football Federation has joined legal proceedings to oppose an urgent challenge brought by Adriano Galliani, the former chief executive of Milan and Monza, against the committee established by Giovanni Malago. The case could affect the election schedule and potentially put the date of the voting stage at risk.

The dispute began after Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. That failure led then-president Gabriele Gravina to resign and opened the way for a new election to lead the federation.

Malago won an election in June with 68.6% of the vote. However, the Italian Olympic Committee annulled that result on 6 October because he did not meet the federation membership requirement at the time of his candidacy. Malago was subsequently appointed extraordinary commissioner to oversee the federation until a new election could be held.

As 14 December approaches, Malago is being backed by Serie A clubs, while Galliani has the support of the players’ and coaches’ associations.

Galliani’s challenge centres on the committee responsible for reviewing the candidates’ applications. He argues there is a conflict of interest because Malago is both a candidate and the official supervising the checks.

According to Tuttosport, the committee was created by Malago on 2 November in his capacity as extraordinary commissioner and presidential candidate. General Vincenzo Parrinello was appointed to coordinate its work, including reviewing applications and checking whether candidates met the conditions for standing.

Galliani’s lawyer, Filippo Lazzanti, claims the committee has no legal basis in the federation’s statutes or regulations. He argues that responsibility for the formal review of candidate files belongs to the federation’s general secretariat, headed by secretary general Marco Brunelli, rather than to a newly formed body.

The federation takes a different view, saying the committee was not established to replace Brunelli or take over his powers, but to assist him with the checking and review process.

By joining the case, the federation will defend the legality of the steps taken by Malago. The National Federal Court will consider the arguments from both sides before issuing its ruling.

The election has also been complicated by Genoa’s position. The club initially declared its support for Galliani, and its backing was included in documents submitted with his candidacy. It later withdrew that support through an official certified email, known as PEC, and announced that it backed Malago instead.

Candidates for the presidency must have the support of at least 11 Serie A clubs. Tuttosport reports that Malago reached that threshold only after Genoa was counted among his backers. If the club’s signature is withdrawn, his support would fall to 10 clubs.

Galliani is therefore also questioning whether Genoa’s backing can count for Malago after the club had previously supported his own candidacy. Candidate eligibility is expected to be decided by 14 November, with the continuing legal dispute leaving the 14 December election assembly, where the new president is due to be chosen, uncertain.