FIGC commissioner Giovanni Malagò has acknowledged that his proposed appointment of Diana Bianchedi as Italy national team head of delegation was mishandled in its timing, while maintaining that the CONI vice-president remains the right figure for the position.
Malagò said Bianchedi’s background made her particularly suited to create a connection between football and Italy’s wider sporting movement. Her sporting record, professional experience and business credentials, he argued, would allow her to represent that bridge on both a cultural and values-based level.
A decision overtaken by the calendar
The commissioner traced the origins of the proposal back to August, when he contacted all of the people involved. At that point, the new domestic season had not begun and the World Cup had already concluded.
In Malagò’s view, the circumstances were different from those that later surrounded the discussion. Once the football calendar resumed, the proposal acquired a significance that he had not intended to create.
“I remain absolutely convinced that Diana Bianchedi is the person best able to represent the cultural link between football and other sports,” Malagò said. “But I got the timing wrong.”
Media reaction and an unnecessary dispute
Malagò accepted that the announcement was interpreted as a deliberate intervention in the football debate, rather than as a decision made during a quieter period for the game. He said it was seen as a stone thrown into still water, creating the impression of a provocation.
That reaction, he said, generated a dispute he did not believe was justified. The episode has nevertheless offered a lesson for the FIGC commissioner as he oversees a sensitive phase for the federation and the national side.
“Even when a decision has its logic, timing is fundamental,” Malagò said.
