Overview
- RAI said Paolo Petrecca resigned and will leave his post after the Feb. 22 closing gala, with Marco Lollobrigida named interim head and Petrecca barred from commentating the ceremony.
- During the Feb. 6 opening ceremony he misnamed San Siro as Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, mistook actress Matilda De Angelis for Mariah Carey, and identified IOC president Kirsty Coventry as President Sergio Mattarella’s daughter.
- His on-air remarks drew criticism for stereotypes, including calling the Spanish team “very hot” and saying many Chinese athletes “naturally have phones in their hands,” with additional comments about Brazilians and “voodoo rituals” reported by outlets.
- Usigrai declared a one-day byline strike and Rai Sport journalists planned a three-day walkout after the Games, saying the broadcast dealt a serious blow to the broadcaster’s credibility.
- Petrecca’s perceived closeness to Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy fueled opposition claims that RAI favors political loyalists, a charge ministers dispute as they reject accusations of partisan control.