CONI president Giovanni Malago believes the conditions are not right to elect a successor to Carlo Tavecchio, who resigned after Italy's World Cup qualifying fiasco last November which meant the four-time champions miss the finals for the first time in 60 years.

 

Three candidates are expected to go forward at Monday's vote before the FIGC general assembly in Rome — Amateur League president Cosimo Sibilia, Lega Pro (third division) chief Gabriele Gravina and Damiano Tommasi head of the

Italian Players' Union.

 

“I hope that there is an awareness on the part of the three candidates so that the election does not take place, I wish it as do 90 percent of Italians,” Malago said in quotes in the Italian media.

 

“For now the assembly is convened. But the candidates have acknowledged the difficulties and are considering with their supporters the path to take,” said Malago, adding that if the vote went ahead it was “inevitable” that the FIGC would be placed under the guardianship of CONI.

 

According the Malago “none of the candidates can count on the vast majority that everyone considers indispensable for the revival of Italian football and there is the risk that the new president does not even have a simple majority in the Federal Council.”

 

Already without a national team coach, Italian football is in disarray, with no president at either the FIGC or Lega Serie A, the Italian first division.

 

Malago proposed to push the FIGC vote back three months to allow the Lega Serie A to elect a new president. The Lega Serie A have for several months been under the guardianship of the FIGC and lead by interim president Tavecchio.