The election of a new Lega Serie A president appears to be slowing down due to complications in finding an agreement between the 20 top-flight clubs.
Since the end of January, when Paolo Dal Pino resigned, the Lega Serie A has been looking for the right person to replace him. The rules of the Lega Serie A statute require that the new president receive at least two-thirds of the votes on the first and second ballot and then the absolute majority from the third on. Each of the 20 Serie A clubs can cast one ballot.
Last week, the name of Carlo Bonomi, the president of Confindustria – the Italian association of industrialists – popped up. Bonomi’s candidacy was proposed mainly by Paolo Scaroni, the current president of Milan.
The idea was immediately rejected as it did not reach the 14 or more votes needed despite several newspapers such as top-circulation Il Corriere della Sera reporting Bonomi’s name as a likely choice.
Reportedly, it was the presidents of Lazio and Napoli, Claudio Lotito and Aurelio De Laurentiis, to hinder the project. The two would prefer a less authoritative profile that would grant more decision-making space to the 20 league clubs.
Meanwhile, the Association Council of the FIGC – the Italian Football Association – chaired by Gabriele Gravina, appointed lawyer Gennaro Terracciano as Commissioner ad acta. A new deadline was set on February 23 for the clubs to find an agreement and choose a name before the Commissioner’s arrival.