The Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) is scheduled to hold its elective council tomorrow, Thursday, June 26th, at the Acqua Acetosa Olympic training center in Rome. This council will elect the new president to succeed Giovanni Malagò, along with the national board, for the 2025-2028 Olympic quadrennium.
A record number of eight candidates are contesting the presidency: Duccio Bartalucci, Luciano Buonfiglio, Franco Carraro, Mauro Checcoli, Pierluigi Giancamilli, Carlo Iannelli, Giuseppe Macchiarola, and Luca Pancalli. Among these, Luciano Buonfiglio, currently president of the Canoe-Kayak Federation and perceived as aligned with Malagò`s administration, and Luca Pancalli, president of the Italian Paralympic Committee and seen as a proponent of change, are considered strong contenders. Franco Carraro, aged 85, a former president of both CONI and the FIGC, is also among the candidates.
Reflecting on his tenure, Giovanni Malagò stated that he is leaving a “great CONI.” He emphasized the significant national and international prestige attained by Italian sport, the achievement of unprecedented sporting results, sound financial management, a level of consensus that he believes will be challenging to replicate in the upcoming election, and a remarkable lineup of major sporting events hosted or planned, including the foremost event, the 2026 Games.