Malagò kept in charge of Italian soccer federation after last-minute compromise

ROME (AP) — A solution was found to keep Giovanni Malagò in charge of the beleaguered Italian soccer federation on Tuesday despite an irregularity in his election this year.

While Malagò was stripped of the presidency, he was named as the federation’s emergency commissioner on an interim basis pending a new election.

The compromise was made in a last-minute meeting between Malagò and Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) president Luciano Buonfiglio, just before CONI voted on the matter.

The irregularity was that Malagò was not registered as a member of the soccer federation at the time of the election in June.

Malagò received 68.58% of the votes in the election, easily beating former federation president Giancarlo Abete, who received 29.17% and was the only other candidate.

The vote was to replace Gabriele Gravina, who resigned after four-time champion Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.

A new election will likely be held in January, with Malagò expected to run again.

Malagò previously led the Italian Olympic Committee and the Milan Cortina Olympics organizing committee. He’s also an International Olympic Committee member.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin warned Italian authorities of political interference if Malagò was removed.

Besides the struggling national team — which has shown improvement under returning coach Roberto Mancini in the Nations League — Malagò has also inherited Italy’s problem-plagued preparations for hosting the 2032 European Championship.

Last week, the federation submitted a list to UEFA of 14 stadiums in 13 cities that could potentially host games for the tournament that is being co-organized with Turkey. But only one of the venues — Juventus’ Allianz Stadium in Turin — is ready.

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Italy's Pio Esposito celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Italy and Turkey in Bologna, Italy, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Italy's head coach Roberto Mancini gestures during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Italy and Turkey in Bologna, Italy, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) president Luciano Buonfiglio meets the media during a press conference in Rome Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)

Luciano Malago' leaves (Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) headquarters in Rome Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A Spanish Supreme Court judge lifted the arrest warrant for Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont on Tuesday, clearing the way for him to return home without fear of detention for the first time in nearly a decade.

Puigdemont, Catalonia’s former regional president, fled Spain for Belgium in 2017 after leading a failed attempt to break Catalonia away from Spain. He has since avoided attempts by Spain to have him sent back to face a court, while many of his confidants and supporters spent time in prison.

Now he looks set to go back to Spain just when the country is preparing for a national election next month. It is too early to know how his return will impact the campaign, but given his unpopularity in most of Spain, it is likely that opposition parties will try to use his return against incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

The 63-year-old Puigdemont scored a major legal victory when Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena lifted his arrest warrant moments after Spain’s Constitutional Court announced it would apply a government amnesty for the Catalan separatists to one of Puigdemont’s political allies who had been found guilty of misusing public funds.

Llarena said he was lifting the arrest warrant for Puigdemont while awaiting the opportunity to study the Constitutional Court’s decision, which he said would likely affect the warrant.

Puigdemont's party in Catalonia, Junts, said he will give a press conference later Tuesday from Waterloo, Belgium, where he has lived since he fled Spain.

From Waterloo, Puigdemont has maintained a loyal following among committed Catalan separatists, even as the independence movement has weakened. His penchant for the audacious was on display in 2024 when Puigdemont suddenly appeared in Barcelona, gave a public speech and slipped through the police's grip.

He has also kept control of his Junts party from abroad, maintaining an outsized role in Spanish politics.

Junts “No” was decisive in Spain's progressive government losing two key votes in Parliament this week when it tried to push through emergency housing measures amid street protests.

Puigdemont's fate has been linked to that of Prime Minister Sánchez.

Sánchez was only able to remain in power in 2023 when Puigdemont's Junts backed his formation of a new government in exchange for the amnesty. This week Sánchez responded to Junts scuttling his housing measures by calling a snap election for Nov. 29, hoping the discontent over housing will mobilize his voters.

FILE - In this April 18, 2018 file photo, former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont attends a meeting with lawmakers of his party, Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia), in Berlin, Germany. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, file)