The race for the presidency of the Italian Football Federation is causing internal divisions within the Serie A League. The clubs are split between supporters of Malagò and those of Galliani, with a large group of presidents still without a definitive position.
Inter and Atalanta are leading the front in support of Galliani, a profile favored by part of the government as he is a senator for Forza Italia. It is Percassi who is trying to unite this group, even though the informal meeting between the clubs held yesterday did not produce any breakthrough, resulting in further deadlock.
On the opposite front, Napoli, Lecce, Monza, Roma, and Bologna support Malagò, who is said to already have 7-8 endorsements. Como and Sassuolo are on the other side. Milan seems to be leaning towards the Lombard bloc, while Juve—due to the relationship between Malagò and Elkann—could eventually change its stance. Many clubs remain in the middle, without a clear choice.
The tone has risen in recent hours. On one side, Malagò and his supporters are accused of having acted independently for four months, “betraying the trust” of the others. On the other, it is argued that “changing our minds after choosing him with 19 votes would be a bad look.” Even the players and coaches find themselves in an awkward position: after breaking ranks with the National Amateur League, they now find themselves allied with a component that is now fragmented. Some would go back to voting for Malagò, others would remain loyal to the April pact with Marotta.
Barring any surprise moves—with an eye on a possible move by Abete—a single candidate for the presidency of the FIGC could emerge from the internal division. To move to the next step, 11 out of 20 votes are needed. November 4 should be the decisive deadline, with the vote set for December 14.
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