Diana Bianchedi’s former FIGC role has been judged compatible with her position as CONI vice-president, removing a legal obstacle ahead of a significant meeting for Italian football’s governing structures.
The National Anti-Corruption Authority has concluded that Bianchedi’s appointment as head of delegation for the FIGC did not create an incompatibility with her CONI office. The matter has now been closed because she has since resigned from the FIGC post.
Quick facts
- The opinion was delivered to CONI president Luciano Buonfiglio and FIGC president Giovanni Malagò.
- CONI had asked for the assessment after Bianchedi’s FIGC appointment was announced in August.
- The ruling comes before Tuesday’s CONI executive meeting on a possible special administration of the FIGC.
- There had been disagreement over whether Bianchedi could take part in the vote.
- The authority found no breach of Articles 4 or 9 of Legislative Decree No. 39 of 2013.
The timing gives the decision added weight. CONI’s executive board is due to examine the prospect of placing the Italian Football Federation under commissarial management, with Bianchedi’s voting rights having become a point of contention.
Buonfiglio had objected to the overlap between her CONI vice-presidency and the FIGC assignment. However, the authority’s review found that the circumstances did not meet the conditions set out in the relevant rules on appointments and conflicting offices.
Article 4 concerns appointments within public administrations for individuals coming from regulated or publicly funded private bodies. Article 9 deals with incompatibilities involving offices in such bodies and professional activities.
The authority’s council met in a supervisory capacity rather than merely offering consultation. By then, Bianchedi had formally taken up the FIGC role before stepping down, meaning the review was no longer limited to a hypothetical appointment.
Its conclusion was that no incompatibility existed, while Bianchedi’s resignation from the national-team delegation role allowed the file to be formally archived. For CONI and the FIGC, that leaves Tuesday’s discussion centred on the federation’s future rather than on her eligibility to participate.
