Andrea Abodi
Italy's Sports Minister demanding full FIGC overhaul; backing Paolo Maldini for the presidency.
Last refreshed: 10 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can Abodi force a Maldini candidacy through , or will the clubs override him?
Timeline for Andrea Abodi
Serie A picks Malagò for FIGC, sidelining government
2026 FIFA World CupGravina's data: Serie A 49th for youth time
2026 FIFA World CupFIGC race widens: Maldini, Del Piero, Albertini in play
2026 FIFA World CupMentioned in: Italy Miss Third Consecutive World Cup
2026 FIFA World CupAbodi Demands Gravina Resign as FIGC Crisis Deepens
2026 FIFA World Cup- Who does Italy's sports minister want as the new FIGC president?
- Andrea Abodi is pushing for Paolo Maldini, the former AC Milan captain, according to La Stampa. No former player has ever led the FIGC.Source: La Stampa
- What did Andrea Abodi say after Italy missed the 2026 World Cup?
- Abodi demanded FIGC president Gravina resign and called for Italian football to be rebuilt from the ground up.Source: Sky Sport Italia
- Can the Italian government choose the new FIGC president?
- No. FIFA regulations prohibit direct government control of member federations. Abodi can push candidates but cannot impose one on the 274-delegate electoral assembly.Source: FIFA statutes
Background
Andrea Abodi is Italy's Minister for Sport and Youth, appointed in October 2022 as part of Giorgia Meloni's centre-right Coalition government. Following Italy's 4-1 penalty defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 31 March 2026, Abodi publicly demanded that FIGC president Gabriele Gravina resign, calling for Italian football to be rebuilt from the ground up. His statement elevated the governance crisis from a football matter to a formal political demand.
Before entering politics, Abodi was president of Istituto per il Credito Sportivo, Italy's sports finance institution, and a long-standing figure in Italian sports administration. His dual role as a government minister with deep institutional knowledge of football finance gives his calls for structural reform unusual weight compared with typical political comment on sporting affairs.
Following Gravina's resignation on 2 April, Abodi moved from demanding departure to shaping succession. According to La Stampa, he is pushing for former AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini to stand as FIGC president , a former-player candidate with no previous governance role. No former player has ever led the FIGC. Abodi's preference puts him at odds with Giovanni Malagò, the frontrunner backed by Serie A clubs. Candidates must declare by approximately 13 May; the election is 22 June 2026 in Rome.