ROME: Italian football has closed one of three gaps in its senior game administration with the election of Gaetano Micciche as president of the top league [Lega Serie A] writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

This leaves the domestic needing a new president of the national association, the FIGC, in succession to Carlo Tavecchio and a new national coach. Both posts fell open after the disastrous failure to qualify for the World Cup finals in Russia in June and July.

Micciche, 67-year-old head of the IMI business bank, was elected unanimously by the 20 clubs of Serie A on a proposal from Giovanni Malago, president of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) which governs domestic sport.

From Sicily, Micciche  is the brother of the president of the Sicilian regional assembly and a former vice-president of Palermo.

Maurizio Beretta resigned in March last year after seven years in office.