«Faced with the defeat against Switzerland I thought I was in an episode of “Scherzi a parte”». Giovanni Malagò, president of CONI, he uses irony, useful to tone down the drama (never forget that it’s about sport…) due to the deep crisis of our football. It’s the first time he speaks after the European flop: «Between the Olympics and IOC sessions I’ll stay a month in Paris, I had promised my mother a long time ago that I would dedicate a weekend to her. So during the recent weekend at the seaside I had turned off my phone: when I turned it back on, a hurricane broke out».
How did you experience the elimination from the European Championship?
“I have witnessed defeats, of course. In individual sports, it can happen that the tennis player or swimmer on duty on the day of the competition, due to a physical or mental problem, has a terrible performance. But in a team sport, with the possibility of making five substitutions out of eleven, the scene seemed unbelievable to me: the players on the field conveyed the sensation of frustration and humiliation. It seemed like they didn’t even notice, because usually when you’re in difficulty you get carried away by the competitive spirit, but instead they were really amorphous. They never gave the impression of putting their heart and soul into it.”
Isn’t it Spalletti’s responsibility to convey the right mentality?
“Of course, after all he was honest in admitting that he made a mistake and that the job of a selector is different from that of a coach. What a shame: after Zaccagni’s goal against Croatia in the 98th minute and that highway in the good part of the scoreboard it seemed that we were in the best possible situation.”
Can football in its institutions be so self-absolving?
“Let’s start with the coach: he must know how to manage a group based on his own tactical ideas. His curriculum speaks for itself but it is clear that he has responsibilities.”
So did you expect him to resign?
“Wait a minute… Those who now invoke them forget that last year they considered Spalletti the best coach available: let’s also consider that after the Naples interlude he would have had more attractive opportunities from an economic point of view. But if Luciano now says he is ready to get back in the game to demonstrate that he can obtain better results, who should make the decision to replace him? The federal leaders who are the first to be questioned?”
Have you heard Gravina?
“Of course, I took the liberty of telling him that he could not prolong this situation over time: the air has become unbreathable. Before this national tragedy, the federal elections should have been held between February and March of next year. Instead, he called them in November, at the first available date. Those who ask for resignation must know that, when a president leaves, the council falls, which, pending new elections within ninety days, exercises the functions of ordinary administration. Whoever arrives will take his responsibilities and decide whether to give confidence to Spalletti or make other evaluations”.
What state of mind did you find the FIGC president in?
“Let’s say that the atmosphere wasn’t good already because of the problems that existed before this collapse. I felt disappointed. I perceived that he felt betrayed by those who went on the field. The problem in football is rather another.”
That is to say?
“Only in this sport is there an unwritten law, which is the price to pay when a discipline is so popular. In case of defeat, the responsibility is not only of those who go on the field but also of the managers.”
Is Gravina tired?
“When you have too many fronts open, there is the risk of leaving mental resources on the street. We do not live in Quark’s world: if you arrive in a position of power many people support you but just as many wish they were in your place. I appreciated the words of Antonio Tajani who, asked for an opinion on the subject, replied that it was not up to him to address certain issues. But you can’t pretend to live outside the world”.
What advice would you give to the future federal president?
“Whoever holds that position in the future must understand that without the necessary compromise, they will find themselves having to argue with some component. I want to point out that despite the successes of the Italian Under 17 and Under 19 teams at the European Championships and the final at the Under 20 World Cup, the Under 21 team did not qualify for the Olympics and the senior team failed in Germany: that must mean something. However, today one of the components is in total contrast with the rest of Italian sport.”
In the summer of 24 European athletics medals, do footballers look like rich and spoiled?
“It doesn’t help that we see young people who earn a few thousand euros triumphing while athletes who are successful, have money, and are popular, don’t have the right attitudes. In fact, they don’t even feel the need to show them off.”
You interfaced with the world of football in 2018, when you were appointed commissioner of the Serie A League. Would you accept returning to be part of that world?
“Football is not in my future, by nature I embrace feasible projects. If I have to run a marathon maybe in five hours I complete it but I will not compete in the Olympics. From now until 2026 my commitment is towards my country and the Games, otherwise I would betray the Olympic spirit”.
An amendment to the Sports decree that has yet to be debated in the chamber provides that she be granted the right to a fourth term. Will she take the assist?
«The deadline a few months before a Winter Olympics, as it was born and was wanted, requires reflections but this does not mean I will ask to be able to benefit from a new mandate».
