Government wants to disempower CONI

As Sports Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti from the right-wing ruling party Lega explained, the state's annual grants to the sports associations would in future be distributed directly by the newly founded "Sport and Health" company. In the future, CONI will only be responsible for organizing everything related to sending athletes to the Olympic Games.

The government wants to continue to finance Italian sport with 410 million euros annually. 370 million of this will go to the new company, which will distribute the money according to criteria that the government has yet to determine.

CONI will use the remaining 40 million euros to manage the organization of the Olympic Games. This cannot be shaken. Giorgetti said he would not change anything about the reform. This is included in the coalition agreement of the government parties that have ruled Italy since June.

CONI President Giovanni Malagó described the government's reform plans as "monstrous". “The government is thus occupying Italian sport. This didn't even happen during the fascist regime. “Fascism also had respect for the CONI’s autonomy,” Malago said, according to Italian media.

He will not allow CONI to be reduced to a “travel company” that only organizes the trips of Italian athletes for the Olympic Games. Malago said he had considered resigning in protest against the reform. However, he was asked to stay by the Italian association presidents.

Italy's government could cause trouble for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) if the reform is implemented. The IOC with its German president insists on the autonomy of sport and prohibits political intervention. It was only in August of this year that Kuwait returned, at least temporarily, to the fold of the IOC after a nearly three-year suspension. The country was excluded because of the government's political influence on sporting institutions.

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

Government wants to disempower CONI

The government in Rome wants to disempower the national Olympic committee (CONI) and this plan is causing widespread outrage.

Suggestions

Comments (0)