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"The lack of membership? It seems to me the topic has been thoroughly explored, like all matters of more or less interest. Clearly, there's confusion, and everyone feels like they're constantly expressing opinions. I'm absolutely calm, no doubt about it. Then, as I was saying, I'm a gentleman, accustomed for many years, honestly, to someone who wants to somehow subvert the dynamics of popular consensus, because here I always remember that when there are elections, there's a democratic debate, in which people want me to represent them, especially after such a complicated period, after the failure to qualify."
This was stated by FIGC president Giovanni Malagò during the first episode of the new season of "La Politica nel Pallone" (Politics in Football), on Rai Gr Parlamento, regarding the case of his failure to register with the Italian Football Federation. The General Prosecutor's Office for Sport at CONI rejected the request to close the case, requesting further clarification.
This wasn't anything new. There had already been a clear, I'd even say public, attempt to identify a way to avoid going to the elections under special administration. It failed. Then came the discussion, which focused on the usual obstacles I know by heart in the election campaign. Then there was this wonderful issue of pantouflage.
And now there's this new episode. The dynamics of all this have a precise logic. I'm very calm. And it couldn't be otherwise, but you only need to look at the history, recent and not so recent, of the Football Federation elections. Am I afraid of losing my position as president of the Football Federation? Absolutely not," Malagò said clearly.
The FIGC president then returned to the Bianchedi case. "Tomorrow's CONI board meeting with the Bianchedi issue to resolve? Personally, I don't expect anything. I believe the CONI president spoke with Diana and found this way to clear up any doubts, writing to ANAC regarding a potential contract that Diana would have to sign. They tell me, but I don't think this is the right path. I have no reason to add anything. I'm not a lawyer, but I just can't see where the problem could lie, specifically regarding this work, because it's a fact that there are so many representatives and people who hold far more engaging roles in terms of the system, of sports representation, across the board, so it would be truly astonishing if there were something different," Malagò explained regarding the issue of CONI deputy vice president Diana Bianchedi and her role as head of delegation for the Italian national team.
The federation president also spoke about the national team. "What do I expect from Mancini's new Italy? There are huge expectations, but it must also be said that we haven't played in a knockout match at a World Cup since we won the 2006 final against France. Italy mustn't limit itself to just qualifying. We must also look ahead and perform well, and to do this, we need to build a path with our young players," was the clear message from the president of the Italian Football Federation. "In four years, those who are 15 or 16 years old today could be protagonists, but those who are 18 or 20 today will certainly be. There are several young players that coach Mancini is monitoring with technical director Claudio Ranieri. Romano? He chose Italy thanks to the work and authority of Claudio Ranieri and the prestige of Roberto Mancini, but he's not the only one; there are several young players who have the freedom to choose whether to play for their father or mother. We're working hard on this," added Malagò, who then, when asked about the minimum objective of the new Azzurri, explained that "we need to build a good team and restore confidence in the players after what happened. I know full well that we are dependent on a thousand variables, but we must not put ourselves in a situation where a single incident could lead to another bitter situation."
On September 25, Italy will take to the field against Belgium in the Nations League: "We want to make a good impression and project a positive image of the team, creating the conditions to restore confidence in those who have been disappointed," he added, before noting that he would be ready to resign if they failed to qualify for the World Cup. "You can be the best federal president, doing the best things, but there's an unwritten rule, I don't even know if it's fair: if someone fails to achieve the minimum objective, namely participating in the World Cup, it's only right that they respect what my colleagues before me have done," Malagò concluded.
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