Federal Court decides on Galliani's appeal, threatens the vote

The National Federal Court will rule on Friday 13 November on the appeal filed by Adriano Galliani against the Commission established by the extraordinary commissioner of the FIGC, Giovanni Malagò, for the verification of the candidacies for the upcoming federal elections.

The reasons for the appeal

The case threatens to complicate the path towards the Electoral Assembly, set for 14 December, raising the possibility of a postponement of the vote. The appeal, filed on Monday by the former chief executive officer of Milan and Monza, challenges the legitimacy of the body appointed by Malagò, who is himself a candidate for the federal presidency. He reviewed the fourteen‑page document, noting that Galliani’s initiative is based on allegations ranging from the alleged incompetence of the Commission to a possible conflict of interest arising from its establishment by one of the candidates.

Yesterday the FIGC decided to take legal action, opposing the arguments put forward by Galliani. The National Federal Court, after rejecting the request for a precautionary suspension, will examine the appeal on its merits on Friday, in a collegial composition. At the centre of the dispute is the Commission established on 2 November by Malagò to examine the documentation relating to the candidacies. According to Galliani, the verification should be entrusted to the bodies identified by the Statute and the electoral regulations, without the involvement of a structure appointed by the extraordinary commissioner, which is directly participating in the competition.

Implications for the elections

The issue takes on particular significance in light of the case of the double signature of Genoa, which initially had supported Galliani’s candidacy before revoking its support via PEC in favour of Malagò. The validity of this latter subscription is decisive, because without Genoa Malagò would fall to ten signatures from Serie A clubs, one fewer than the eleven required to submit his candidacy.

The Football Federation argues that the Commission does not have decision‑making power, but solely performs an investigative and support function in the collection and examination of the documentation, to strengthen procedural controls in light of the issues that emerged in the previous electoral round that led to the Federation’s administration. The final decision on the admission of the candidacies remains the responsibility of the general secretary Marco Brunelli, who must complete the checks by Saturday 14 November. According to the federation’s position, Brunelli may proceed regardless of the outcome of the appeal against the Commission.

Friday’s ruling could represent only the first step of a dispute set to continue. Once the list of admitted candidacies is published, Galliani will be able to challenge the validity of Genoa’s signature supporting Malagò, filing a new appeal within seven days of the decision. A possible challenge would open a further procedure, with the possibility of reaching, after the National Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal and the Sports Guarantee Board at the CONI.

The succession of possible levels of judgment calls the electoral calendar into question, as the timelines could overlap with 14 December, making a postponement of the Assembly necessary to elect the new FIGC president. The uncertainty about the timetable also reflects on the positions of the federal components, starting from Serie B, Lega Pro and Lega Nazionale Dilettanti, still dealing with the assessments of the two candidates. In the assembly held yesterday in Turin, the Serie B League reiterated the line adopted during the June elections, confirming the intention to draft a document with the main reform points to be presented to the candidates during a meeting. The final choices remain conditioned by the evolution of the judicial dispute, and with the deadline for the validation of the candidacies imminent and the prospect of further appeals, the path towards the vote on 14 December appears increasingly uncertain.