Luca Pancalli
Encyclopedia
Luca Pancalli is a sports manager and former swimmer
. He is currently the Commissioner of the Italian Football Federation.
After having won a national youth modern pentathlon
championship, Pancalli became a quadriplegic in 1981 following a tumble from a horse during an international race in Austria
. Despite this, he was still able to partially move his arms and took part in four different editions of the Paralympic Games
from 1984
to 1996
, winning eight gold, seven silver, and one bronze medal in swimming.
He was appointed president of the Italian Paralympic Committee in 2000. He was then appointed vice-president of the Italian National Olympic Committee, being the first disabled person to take the job.
On September 21, 2006, after Guido Rossi resigned, Pancalli was appointed Extraordinary Commissioner of the FIGC (Italian Football Federation). On February 2, 2007, following gratuitous violences in the Sicilian derby
in Catania
which led to the killing of a policeman, Pancalli announced his intention to indefinitely suspend all football activities in the country. This is the second time such an event happened, the first time being after Genoa C.F.C.
supporter Vincenzo Spagnolo was stabbed by an alleged AC Milan
ultras
member called Simone Brasaglia in 1995.
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
. He is currently the Commissioner of the Italian Football Federation.
After having won a national youth modern pentathlon
Modern pentathlon
The modern pentathlon is a sports contest that includes five events: pistol shooting, épée fencing, 200 m freestyle swimming, show jumping, and a 3 km cross-country run...
championship, Pancalli became a quadriplegic in 1981 following a tumble from a horse during an international race in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. Despite this, he was still able to partially move his arms and took part in four different editions of the Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
from 1984
1984 Summer Paralympics
The 1984 Summer Paralympics were the seventh Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in two separate locations, Stoke Mandeville, United Kingdom and in the Mitchel Athletic Complex and Hofstra University in Long Island, New York, United States of America The 1984 Summer Paralympics were the...
to 1996
1996 Summer Paralympics
The 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, USA were held from 16 August to 25 August. It was the first Paralympics to get mass media sponsorship, and had a budget of USD $81 million....
, winning eight gold, seven silver, and one bronze medal in swimming.
He was appointed president of the Italian Paralympic Committee in 2000. He was then appointed vice-president of the Italian National Olympic Committee, being the first disabled person to take the job.
On September 21, 2006, after Guido Rossi resigned, Pancalli was appointed Extraordinary Commissioner of the FIGC (Italian Football Federation). On February 2, 2007, following gratuitous violences in the Sicilian derby
Sicilian derby
The Derby di Sicilia is a local derby between Italian football clubs Calcio Catania and U.S. Città di Palermo. Catania and Palermo are the two main cities on the island of Sicily, and the teams are fierce rivals...
in Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
which led to the killing of a policeman, Pancalli announced his intention to indefinitely suspend all football activities in the country. This is the second time such an event happened, the first time being after Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
supporter Vincenzo Spagnolo was stabbed by an alleged AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
ultras
Ultras
Ultras are a type of sports fans renowned for their fanatical support and elaborate displays. They are predominantly European followers of football teams...
member called Simone Brasaglia in 1995.