Abete re-elected as FIGC president

Giancarlo Abete has been re-elected as president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) for another four-year term.

"It is right to be self-critical, but we are competitive at international level, we are fourth in the FIFA rankings, and we have kept Italian football united," said the 62-year-old, who is also a UEFA vice-president.

An entrepreneur in the publishing, print and information industries, Abete started working as president of the FIGC technical department in 1988, while serving as a member of the Italian parliament (1979–1992). He was president of Serie C (1990–96) and twice held the role of FIGC vice-president (1996–2000 and 2001–06) as well as heading up the triumphant Italian delegation at the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals.

Elected FIGC president in April 2007, Abete joined the UEFA Executive Committee two years later, and became fifth UEFA vice-president in March 2011.