Settebello’s protest did not please Giovanni Malagò

John Malagò does not approve

Giovanni Malagò, the president of CONI, criticized the protest staged by the Italian water polo team before the match against Spain at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

During the anthem, players and technical staff of the Settebello turned their backs on the jury table, expressing their disagreement with the refereeing direction in the quarterfinal match, lost on penalties to Hungary.

Federnuoto appealed both to the international federation’s Appeal Jury and to the TAS, but both were rejected and the match was not repeated.

"Protest not agreeable as well as certainly some refereeing decisions against Hungary were not. I say this as a man of the institutions and as a member of the IOC. After that as the president of Coni I remember and add that Coni, together with the Federnuoto, has defended the Settebello in all levels of judgment up to Tas, the highest body of international sports justice", Malagò stresses in a note. "I am sorry for this reaction that in any case remains contrary to the Olympic spirit", he then adds.