Galliani and Malago set for Italian Football Federation leadership battle

Adriano Galliani and Giovanni Malago have been confirmed as the two candidates for the Italian Football Federation presidency, with the election due to take place on 14 December.

The Italian Football Federation announced on Saturday that both applications had been accepted, setting up a contest in which the balance of support across Italian football could prove more important than the candidates’ profiles.

Malago, 67, is understood to have the backing of Serie A clubs, while Galliani, 82, is supported by players and coaches, according to details released by the federation and reported by Football Italia.

The election has also exposed a significant shift in Malago’s support among top-flight clubs. He was backed by 19 of the 20 Serie A clubs during the summer, but now has the support of only 11.

Malago was elected president of the Italian Football Federation in June, but was later found to be ineligible because he did not hold membership of the federation. That resulted in the Italian Olympic Committee considering whether the organisation should be placed under the control of a special commissioner.

Instead, Malago was appointed special commissioner of the federation. A new election was then called to choose a president formally, allowing him to return to the race for the position.

How the voting system works

The election is based on 516 votes distributed among the different sections of Italian football. However, the votes do not all carry the same weight, meaning the number of delegates alone does not determine each group’s electoral influence.

Serie A clubs hold 18% of the vote through 20 delegates, while Serie B accounts for 6% through 20 delegates. Serie C has 12% through 57 delegates, and the amateur league holds the largest share at 34% through 99 delegates.

Players account for 20% of the vote through 52 delegates, with coaches holding 10% through 26 delegates.

The campaign has been accompanied by legal tensions over the application process and the validity of supporting documents. The most prominent dispute involved Genoa, whose name was initially listed among Galliani’s supporters before the club withdrew that backing and declared its support for Malago.

That change prompted questions over whether Malago had secured the minimum number of Serie A endorsements required to stand in the election. The Italian Football Federation’s decision to approve both applications has now cleared the way for the contest on 14 December.