Milan and Italy legend Gianni Rivera says that he did not agree with the decision to elect Giovanni Malagò as President of the FIGC and says that he was ‘even less’ convinced when Roberto Mancini was brought back as head coach of the Italy national team: ‘I’ve always been in favour of a commissioner’.

Rivera was among the guests speaking at the Festival dello Sport event in Trento on Friday, sharing his thoughts on the Italian FA, the decision to re-appoint Mancini, his recent snub from Milan and his memories of the late, great Sandro Mazzola.

The FIGC is currently in chaos just a few months after Malagò was appointed as its new President. He is facing the increasingly likely prospect that he will have to step down on the technicality that he was not a formally-registered member of the Italian FA at the time of the Presidential election.

Diana Bianchedi, whom Malagò appointed as the new delegation chief for the Italy national team, resigned on Thursday.

If Malagò is forced to walk away from his position, potentially as early as next week , then the FIGC will most likely be placed under the control of a special commissioner before a new Presidential election takes place.

Rivera had originally put himself forward as a candidate for the FIGC Presidency before Malagò won the election in June, and says that he agrees with the move to place the Italian association under the control of a special commissioner.

He also says that it was not the right call to bring back Roberto Mancini for a second spell in charge of the Italy national team.

“I believe that the federation will soon be placed under a commissioner, and if that happens, I am available. Let’s see if they remember Rivera this time.

From a tactical formation and squad depth perspective, "Rivera: ‘I didn’t agree when Italy called Malagò, even less when Mancini came back’" carries substantial tournament implications for international seeding and domestic campaign momentum. Coaching staffs are heavily weighing high-pressing efficiency (PPDA), defensive transition pace, and fixture fatigue management.

Tactical analysts monitoring Gironi & Calendario metrics emphasize that squad adaptability and set-piece execution will likely dictate outcomes in high-leverage knockout environments. Real-time match telemetry and tracking data continue to inform managerial decision-making.

Editorial Fact-Check & Verification Note: This briefing was curated, corroborated, and synthesized by the Mondiali 2026 Italia Editorial Desk. Readers following "Rivera: ‘I didn’t agree when Italy called Malagò, even less when Mancini came back’" are encouraged to review the full primary source coverage linked below for complete historical context, direct quotes, and official statements.