Novum in Italy
23-year-old becomes club president
23.09.2025 – 9:00 a.m.Reading time: 1 min.
An Italian third division is in the headlines. The reason: the new club boss – and his daughter in an important role.
Claudia Rizzo wrote club history at the age of 23: The Italian is the new President of Ternana Calcio – and thus the youngest club boss in the country’s professional football.
Background: Claudia’s father Gianluigi Rizzo is the new owner of the association. He put his daughter on the post – and made Massimo Ferrero her consultant. The 74-year-old previously worked for Sampdoria Genoa and is now supposed to influence the sporting fortunes of the Italian third division club.
Together with President Claudia Rizzo, he took part in a press conference on which she said: “I always had a great passion for Ternana. During the conversations, I was suggested to take the office. It is a great responsibility, but also a chance,” said Rizzo. With experienced employees at her side, she is convinced that the club can work successfully.
The 23-year-old pays particular attention to the close exchange with club and city. “The first task is to build a strong bond with the team and the city,” she said.
However, the youngest person at the head of a club in the history of Italian football is not. Alessandro Ruggeri, who took over the club management at Atalanta in 2008 at the age of 21, holds the record.