The government remedied at the last minute the suspension of Italy from the Olympic Committee

Italy managed to avoid at the last minute the sanction that would have led it to participate in the Olympics without anthem and without flag, as happened to Russia after the doping scandal: a political mess

(photo : Charly Triballeau via Getty Images) With a decree approved at the last second, just before the resignation of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, the council of ministers re-established the autonomy of Coni. The measure comes one day before the suspension of Italy by the International Olympic Committee, threatened by the IOC for the violation of art. 27 of the Olympic Charter following a reform of the first Conte government. The sanction would have forced Italy to participate without anthem and without flag in the Tokyo Olympics, whose opening seems to be confirmed by the Japanese government, and in the winter ones in Beijing in 2022.

The decree modifies the approved sport reform by the yellow-green executive that dissolved Coni Spa to reorganize it into the public company Sport e salute S.p.a. for the development of sporting activity in Italy. The reform was in contrast with art. 27 of the Olympic Charter, which states that the "NOCs (national Olympic committees) must preserve their autonomy and resist pressures of any kind, including political, legal, religious and economic pressures". According to the IOC, with the reform of 2019 voted by the 5 Star Movement and the League, "the autonomy expressly requested by the regulation was compromised".

Our Hymn. Our flag. Our pride. 🇮🇹 #ItaliaTeam | # Tokyo2020 | #RoadToTokyo pic.twitter.com/cyQNJ9RJeb

- ItaliaTeam (@ItaliaTeam_it) January 26, 2021



The text approved this morning gives Coni its own organic endowment of staff, thus ensuring the autonomy and independence required by the charter. Its 165 employees will be returned to Coni, of which 10 with managerial roles, and the Olympic training centers of Formia, Tirrenia and Acqua acetosa in Rome. But the assets of the Foro Italico, the Olympic stadium, the management of the contributions of the federations and the control of the register of sports clubs will remain in the hands of the Sport and Health Department. who spoke yesterday of a "dramatic situation, sporting speaking, due to politics" commented expressing relief: "The law is ok, autonomy is safe".