Piantanida on Malagò's election: "Restore the dignity of Italian football"
Franco Piantanida commented on Tuttomercatoweb radio about Messi, the election of Giovanni Malagò as Presidente Federale, and the possible transfers of Palestra and Gila to Inter and Napoli.
Franco Piantanida, Mediaset journalist, appeared on the Tuttomercatoweb radio program to give his opinion on the recent issue in the world of futbol. He discussed the two big topics emerging: the comparison to Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona after the amazing performance at the Mundial, and the election of Giovanni Malagò as Presidente Federale of Italy — as well as the Palestra and Gila transfer news.
When asked if the comparison between Messi and Maradona is valid, Piantanida said that he does not want to make the numbers that are repeatedly released central. "Unlike many, I don't want to base it on the numbers that are released over and over again. The comparison should be made based on a different kind of taste. For me, Messi is the greatest, but not just because of the numbers," said Piantanida.
Regarding the election of Malagò, Piantanida strongly emphasized the need for "dignity" in the management of futbol in Italy. He said, when he hears the word "reform" in relation to Italian football, he thinks there must be a concrete "project" for the clubs. "To Malagò, I am asking for dignity, which certainly has to go through work. We live in a time where other sports in Italy have dignity and recognition, while futbol has lost that status," according to Piantanida.
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://tmw-storage-auto.tcccdn.com/storage/tuttomercatoweb.com/img_notizie/thumb3/c4/c4766de7bdb86fd57484e28d0b09eacd-87711-oooz0000.jpeg" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>He added that he would leave remarks about reforms to other speakers, but he sees Malagò as possibly the right person for the role. Regarding the position of national coach, Piantanida said that maybe the return of Roberto Mancini will help: "He had dignity in his previous path and his return will help to erase the stain of leaving."
On the subject of transfers, Piantanida referred to Palestra and Gila as "colpos" who fit the clubs they were going to — Palestra to Inter, and Gila to Napoli. "Perfect fit for the clubs they're going to. I'm very happy with Palestra—he could go for fifty million, but right now there are still credibility questions. Gila, at less than thirty million, looks like a safer acquisition when it comes to price," he explained.
All in all, Piantanida's position remained clear: high in admiration for Messi, critical and hopeful of restoring the dignity of Italian futbol under Malagò, and wary of the value and risk of big transfers.
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://albumimageall.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/liga-pro/universidad-catolica/group/match-images/2026-06-24/6.jpg" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>
