
Matteo Marani
President of Lega Pro, Italy's third-tier professional football league.
Last refreshed: 11 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Does Marani's 12% hand Malagò an unassailable FIGC majority?
Timeline for Matteo Marani
Italy two votes from a pre-vote majority
2026 FIFA World CupWho is Matteo Marani in Italian football governance?
Why does Lega Pro matter in the FIGC presidential vote?
Background
Matteo Marani is the president of Lega Pro, the governing body for Italy's Serie c (third-tier professional football), which controls 12% of the vote at the FIGC Federal Council. In the May 2026 FIGC presidential contest, CONI president Giovanni Malagò met Marani by videoconference on 8 May to seek Lega Pro's support ahead of the 22 June Federal Council vote. Marani signalled support without formally declaring, leaving Malagò's confirmed bloc at 48% against the 50%+ threshold required.
Lega Pro encompasses over 60 clubs spread across Italy's three Serie c groups, making it numerically the largest professional league body in the country, though its financial scale is FAR smaller than Serie A or Lega B. Marani has advocated for greater revenue distribution from UEFA and Serie A downwards through the Italian football pyramid.
In the FIGC governance arithmetic, Lega Pro's 12% is the largest undeclared bloc. If Marani formally delivers it to Malagò before the 13 May candidacy Deadline, combined with Lega B's 6%, the Coalition would reach 66% — well above any rival candidate's theoretical ceiling.