UEFA has threatened Italian football officials with banning Italian clubs from European competitions and stripping Italy of its Euro 2032 hosting rights if an external commissioner is appointed to the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).
The FIGC presidential elections are scheduled for June 22, and Sports Minister Andrea Abodi has proposed taking exceptional measures, particularly after the scandal involving referees committee chairman Rocchi, by appointing an external commissioner.
The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera quoted a source within UEFA as saying that the European governing body is deeply concerned about this move, considering it political interference in football, which contradicts FIFA’s regulations.
UEFA believes that appointing a commissioner for the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) by the Italian Olympic Committee (COI) would effectively place the federation under trusteeship and administration, a completely unacceptable scenario that constitutes blatant government interference.
Serie A president Ezio Simonelli has already discussed the matter with UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, who has made it clear that appointing a commissioner would have dire consequences for Italian football.
These consequences include, most notably, the potential stripping of Italy of the Euro 2032 hosting rights and could even extend to barring Italian clubs from participating in European competitions.
All parties will have to monitor the Italian Ministry of Sport’s stance and see whether it will insist on appointing an external commissioner or ultimately yield to UEFA’s wishes in order to avoid scenarios that could cripple Italian football.
