The president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Giovanni Malagò, has announced the appointment of Diana Bianchedi as the new head of delegation of the Italian national football team. The announcement was made through an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport. Bianchedi, a former Olympic fencer and sports manager, would take on a role that involves the highest administrative, relational, and representational authority on behalf of the Federation during training camps, away matches, and official tournaments.

Bianchedi currently serves as vice-president of CONI, the Italian National Olympic Committee, which holds supervisory and control functions over national sports federations, including FIGC. This overlap has immediately raised the question of a potential conflict of interest, given that a remunerated position within a federation subject to CONI oversight could conflict with her institutional role at the Olympic Committee. According to some observers, the issue may go beyond mere abstention from individual acts, as the CONI statute provides that members of the board who find themselves in a permanent conflict of interest situation may be declared to have forfeited their position. As vice-president, Bianchedi could also be called upon to replace CONI president Buonfiglio in the event of temporary unavailability.

CONI has issued an official statement confirming that it has activated the relevant offices and competent bodies to evaluate potential profiles of opportunity, unsuitability, and incompatibility, in order to safeguard the National Board. FIGC, for its part, has stated that it does not perceive any conflict of interest in the appointment, specifying that the role of head of delegation is merely one of representation.

To resolve the situation, Bianchedi could either resign from her CONI position to take on the FIGC role, or decline Malagò's offer in order to retain her seat on the Olympic Committee. The episode adds to a series of recent personnel decisions by the FIGC president, including those involving names such as Mancini, Ranieri, Bergamini, Maldini, and Leonardo, which have attracted public attention in recent months.

The case highlights the institutional tension between two governing bodies of Italian sport, with an ongoing debate over the boundaries between supervisory roles and internal appointments within federations. Further developments are expected in the coming weeks, pending the assessments announced by CONI.