Italy’s trip to France has been overshadowed by an abrupt resignation at the heart of the national set-up, with Diana Bianchedi stepping down as head of delegation only two days before the Nazionale’s match on French soil.
Key takeaways
- Diana Bianchedi resigned on Wednesday, less than two months after taking the Italy role.
- Her departure followed public criticism from Sports and Youth Minister Andrea Abodi.
- The dispute concerns Italian weightlifting governance rather than the football team directly.
- Bianchedi said she was leaving to prevent further controversy affecting the national side.
- Italy arrive in France after losing 2-0 to Belgium before beating Turkey 4-1.
Resignation during the international window
Bianchedi had taken over from Gianluigi Buffon as Italy’s head of delegation on 9 August, having been appointed by Giovanni Malago following his election as president of the Italian Football Federation in June.
The former fencer, a two-time Olympic champion, also serves as vice-president of the Italian Olympic Committee and sits on the organising committee for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Her national-team position broadly carried the responsibilities of a general manager around the senior squad.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Bianchedi said the reaction to comments made by Abodi had forced her decision. “After the Sports and Youth Minister’s statements, and the controversy that followed in the press on Wednesday afternoon, I am submitting my resignation,” she said.
“I have always acted seriously and with integrity, respecting rules and people, for the good of sport. My values have been unfairly questioned. I am stepping aside to protect the national team from unnecessary controversy.”
Weightlifting row adds to an uneasy Italian backdrop
The immediate dispute does not concern football. Bianchedi appeared on Tuesday before a CONI court hearing into the proposed administration of the Italian Weightlifting Federation, a measure she opposed.
Speaking on Sky on Wednesday, Abodi criticised that stance, saying it did not demonstrate “the trust that had been placed in her”.
Yet the timing has made the episode more damaging for a football federation still emerging from a severe crisis. Italy failed at the end of March to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, while Malago’s June election has itself faced challenges.
Roberto Mancini is again in charge of the national team, which began this international period with a 2-0 defeat against Belgium on Friday before responding with a 4-1 victory in Turkey on Monday. The squad now heads into its fixture in France with another off-field storm already removed from the camp, but far from forgotten.
