The race to lead Italian soccer has accelerated decisively after the assembly of the Serie A League, the body representing clubs in Italy’s top professional division. During the meeting, 18 of the 20 Serie A teams endorsed Giovanni Malagò, former president of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), as the federation's next president. This endorsement is not the same as an election, but it is an important step: in Italy, the final vote is divided among various "components" of the soccer system (clubs, players, coaches, referees, and the amateur sector), each with a percentage weight. Serie A, despite being the peak of Italian soccer, only receives about 18% of the vote. Malagò expressed gratitude for the support, calling it a "important mandate", but has yet to finalize his candidacy. He will need to confirm consensus among the federation's other components. Not all clubs signed on: Lazio and Hellas Verona withdrew, not so much in opposition to the name as in criticism of the process. In particular, Claudio Lotito, the president of Lazio, has contested a system that is considered obsolete and is still governed by a 1981 law that governs professional sports in Italy. Lotito has advocated for structural reform and even suggested the creation of a special "commissioner"—a government-appointed figure charged with reorganizing the system—though Italian Olympic authorities have pushed back on this idea. At the same time, alternative solutions are emerging. Giancarlo Abete, president of the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti (the equivalent of amateur and semi-professional football), has stated his intention to run, wanting similar legitimacy as Malagò. His message is clear: in the Italian model, grassroots soccer plays an important political role and does not want to be subject to top-down decisions. Other figures, such as Demetrio Albertini and Damiano Tommasi, receive backing from the players' and coaches' groups, respectively. In the background remains the mention of great former champions such as Alessandro Del Piero, Paolo Maldini and Roberto Baggio, evoked more as symbolic figures or potential executives than as concrete candidates.