Paolo Petrecca is facing heavy criticism. © ANSA / FABIO CIMAGLIA / Z9A

Even a strike is threatened: Commentator plagued by gaffes under fire

Following blunders by the commentator at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, internal pressure is mounting at the Italian TV station RAI.

February 10, 2026

From: dpa/sn

In response to the blunders of Paolo Petrecca, sporting director of the RAIOn Friday evening, the staff of the sports department at the broadcaster announced they would go on strike for three days after the games. Until then, they also intend to refrain from using their names in their reports and articles.

During the live broadcast from Milan's San Siro stadium, Petrecca repeatedly misidentified or confused people during the show – including South Tyrolean volleyball star Simone Giannelli. He also mistook the well-known Italian actress Matilda De Angelis for US star Mariah Carey. And he mistook IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who was standing next to Italian President Sergio Mattarella, for his daughter.

Petrecca has damaged RAI

The day after the celebration, the union representing RAI employees (Usigrai) spoke out, calling it a "disgrace." According to media reports, the employee representatives criticized Petrecca for "giving himself the job and then proving himself completely unsuitable for it."

In a new statement, the union declared that Petrecca had damaged not only the license fee-paying viewers but also the broadcaster itself and all of its sports journalists. RAI CEO Giampaolo Rossi, meanwhile, called on Petrecca to take responsibility for the incidents. However, he also cautioned against airing internal disputes in public during high-profile matches.

The incident has also drawn political attention. The opposition declared that since the right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took office, political loyalty has been valued more highly than professional competence at RAI. This stems from the fact that, since then, top positions at the broadcaster have been filled with officials sympathetic to Meloni. As a result, numerous journalists have left the station.