Italy staff faces new problem as CONI blocks Bianchedi over incompatibility
Quick summary
CONI has blocked the appointment of Bianchedi to the Italy national team staff due to a role incompatibility issue, creating a new headache for the Azzurri setup.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceAnother appointment for the Italy staff has hit problems, as the CONI announced it is investigating an ‘incompatibility’ issue for new delegation chief Diana Bianchedi.
Revamping the Nazionale was one of the priorities for new FIGC President Giovanni Malagò, but he has run into a series of obstacles.
He hired Paolo Maldini as technical director of Club Italia and Leonardo his special advisor, only for both to resign within three weeks over the struggle to find a coach.
Italy told they cannot hire Bianchedi LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – JUNE 24: Diana Bianchedi, Manager of the National Olympic Committee looks on during IOC Announcement at SwissTech Convention Center on June 24, 2019 in Lausanne, Switzerland. (Photo by Robert Hradil/Getty Images) Only this morning, Malagò announced in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport that Diana Bianchedi would serve as the head of the delegation for the Italy national team, a role that had been filled by Gianluigi Buffon until his resignation in March.
However, that might be blocked before it even begins, because the CONI (Italian Olympic Committee) announced it would evaluate ‘opportunities, grounds and incompatibility’ of this nomination.
This is because Bianchedi already has a job within the CONI, as vice president to Luciano Buonfiglio, which would represent a conflict of interest, as well as an inability to do both roles.
Bianchedi was a fencing champion who won Olympic medals for Italy, then after retirement became a sports director with a high profile.
The CONI oversees all sport in Italy, and current Football Federation President Malagò had been the CONI President from 2013 to 2025.
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What happened
The Italian national football team is dealing with another off-field administrative issue after CONI (Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano) ruled that Bianchedi's appointment to the coaching staff is incompatible with another role he holds. The decision represents a regulatory obstacle for the Azzurri's backroom team configuration. Details on which specific roles conflict remain to be clarified, but the ruling prevents Bianchedi from serving in the intended capacity until the incompatibility is resolved.
Chance analysis
This is a governance/personnel issue rather than an on-field concern, but it can still affect Italy's preparation environment. CONI's veto means the coaching staff may need restructuring or Bianchedi may need to relinquish a conflicting position, which could disrupt planning cycles. For prediction purposes, the sporting impact is minimal in the short term unless the blocked individual was set to play a key tactical role.
Italy's staff planning faces a short-term administrative disruption with likely negligible on-pitch impact.
A staff governance block has no direct effect on match outcomes unless it delays or removes a key coaching appointment.