3 candidates named for Italian soccer federation presidential vote

Three candidates have stepped forward to replace Carlo Tavecchio as president of the Italian soccer federation (Cosimo Sibilia, left, vice-president of the Federation, arrives for a meeting at the Italian Football Federation headquarters (Andrew Medichini/AP)

ROME — Three candidates have stepped forward to replace Carlo Tavecchio as president of the Italian soccer federation.

The candidates are: Gabriele Gravina, president of the Lega Pro (Serie C); Cosimo Sibilia, president of the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti (amateur league); and Damiano Tommasi, president of the Associazione Italiana Calciatori (soccer players’ association).

The vote will be held in Rome in two weeks.

Tavecchio announced he would resign in November amid the fallout from Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup.

Of the 279 voting delegates, the largest block is represented by the amateur leagues with 90 delegates or 34 per cent, making Sibilia the favourite.

Tavecchio led the amateur leagues before he was elected in 2014.

Tommasi, a former Roma and Italy player, is promoting reforms in his election campaign.

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