According to Football-italia, Malagò is criticized for appointing Bianchedi as the head of the Italian national team.
Chaos continues to surround the Italian national team. Italian FA President Giovanni Malagò decided to appoint Diana Bianchedi as the head of the delegation without consulting head coach Roberto Mancini, technical director Claudio Ranieri, or even Bianchedi herself in advance.
On Sunday, Malagò announced in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport that Bianchedi would take over as the head of the Italian national team. Bianchedi is a two-time Olympic fencing gold medalist and currently serves as vice president of the Italian National Olympic Committee.
This position was most recently held by Gianluigi Buffon. Buffon resigned from the role earlier this year after Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
However, by Sunday afternoon, Bianchedi's appointment had already encountered difficulties. She is currently still serving at the Italian National Olympic Committee, which has hinted that holding both positions simultaneously might be "incompatible."
Further embarrassing Malagò is that he seems to have decided alone to choose Bianchedi as the new head of the Italian delegation, only informing relevant key parties at the last minute.
According to Corriere della Sera, Italian National Olympic Committee President Luciano Buonfiglio only learned of Malagò's decision to appoint Bianchedi on Saturday night, with the interview and announcement appearing in La Gazzetta dello Sport the following Sunday.
Surprisingly, Bianchedi herself only learned of the news on Sunday morning, after Malagò's interview and announcement were published.
Monday's reports also added that Malagò did not consult with Italian national team head coach Mancini or Italian FA technical director Ranieri.
Bianchedi has not yet signed any contract with the Italian FA, and it remains to be seen whether she will actually take over as head of the delegation. Both she and Malagò are currently on vacation.
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