Italian Club Appoints 23-Year-Old Woman as New President After Ownership Change
- An Italian Serie C club has made history by appointing the first female president in the club's history
- The 23-year-old woman became the club's president after the owner trusted her with the responsibility
- However, she is not the youngest club president in Italian football history, but sits third on the list
A third-division Italian club has made history after appointing a 23-year-old woman as its new president on Friday, September 19, 2025.
Ternana Calcio, as the club is called, is located in Umbria, Italy, and recently had a change of ownership, in which billionaire Gianluigi Rizzo became the owner.
Source: Twitter
The Rizzo family trusted their 23-year-old daughter with the responsibility of leading the club into the new era, a historic feat in world football.
Ternana appoints Claudia Rizzo as president
As confirmed by the club's official statement, 23-year-old Claudia Rizzo is the new president of Ternana Calcio after his father bought the club.
“We will bring passion and dedication, step by step,” she said during her first press conference after replacing Stefano D’Alessandro, who was in charge for one year.
She confirmed that the idea of being the president was brought up during the takeover negotiations, and she accepted it with pride and honour.
I have always been a big fan of Ternana. During the negotiations, it was suggested to me that I take on the position of president,” she said.
“It is a great responsibility, but also a great opportunity. With experienced collaborators, I feel much more confident, and I am convinced that the club will move forward.
“The first task is to build a strong bond with the team and the city. We will reopen the subscription campaign. I feel a thousand emotions, but above all, I see Ternana as an honour and a responsibility.”
According to Telegrafi, despite her young age, she is not the youngest club president in Italian football and only settled for third place in that regard.
Alessandro Ruggeri, who replaced his ailing father as the president of Atalanta at the age of 21 in 2008, was the youngest club president. Umberto Agnelli became Juventus’ president at 22 in 1955.
Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus became the club's president in 2021 at the age of 23, and this month, after the club gained promotion to the Premier League, he became the majority owner.
Source: Instagram
Rizzo is also not the first female president of a football club, a record held by Turkish businesswoman Berna Gozbasi, who became the president of Kayserispor in 2019 and vacated the office in December 2022.
AS Vita Club, based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, appointed Bestine Kazadi as the club's president in 2020, the first African woman to hold the position. She left the position after a vote of no confidence in 2023.
De Laurentiis admits regret over Osimhen
Legit.ng previously reported that Aurelio De Laurentiis admitted regret over how he managed the departures of Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The Italian movie producer claimed that he could have sold both players a year earlier for €50 million more than he eventually sold them for.
Source: Legit.ng
