Gaffe-ridden Olympic commentary prompts Italian TV chief to resign
Paolo Petrecca, whose gaffe-ridden commentary of the event went viral, stands down from his job.
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"Petrecca’s resignation from Rai Sport was necessary, but it comes too late."
— Stefano Graziano , Politician
"The show continues with Mariah Carey."
— Paolo Petrecca , Executive
"The event was hosted by Rome's Stadio Olympico."
— Kirsty Coventry , Celebrity
"'Petrecca is the emblem of 'Telemeloni' and of the way the government has favoured political allegiance over merit.'"
— Stefano Graziano , Politician
"The decision was announced after Petrecca met with company CEO Giampaolo Rossi on Feb. 9."
— Giampaolo Rossi , Executive
Key People
Commentator who was replaced by Paolo Petrecca.
Giampaolo Rossi is the CEO of the Italian state-owned network Rai.
Giorgia Meloni is the Premier of Italy.
President of the International Olympic Committee.
Colleague of Paolo Petrecca, set to replace him.
Famous American singer.
Italian actress who was mistakenly introduced as Mariah Carey.
Head of Rai Sport whose commentary during the Olympics went viral.
President of Italy.
Captain of Italy's men's volleyball team.
Sofia Goggia is an Italian skier and final torchbearer for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
Politician with the center-left Democratic party in Italy.
Tags
All Coverage
Paolo Petrecca, whose gaffe-ridden commentary of the event went viral, stands down from his job.
RaiSport chief Paolo Petrecca resigned following a series of blunders during the Milano-Cortina Olympics opening ceremony, which sparked protests and potential strikes by RAI journalists.
Paolo Petrecca, director of Rai Sport, resigned after his error-filled commentary during the Milano Cortina 2026 opening ceremony led to protests from Rai journalists.
RaiSport director Paolo Petrecca resigned following backlash over his commentary during the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony, which included several misidentifications and errors.
Paolo Petrecca, director of Rai Sport, resigned after his error-filled commentary during the Winter Olympics opening ceremony led to protests from journalists at the network.
Paolo Petrecca resigned as head of RAI's sports division after widespread criticism of his commentary during the Winter Olympics opening ceremony, which included significant errors and controversial remarks.
Rai CEO Giampaolo Rossi removed commentator Paolo Petrecca from Olympics coverage after a series of errors during the opening ceremony, leading to planned strikes by journalists.
Paolo Petrecca resigned as head of RAI's sports division after widespread criticism of his commentary during the Winter Olympics opening ceremony, which included significant errors and controversial remarks.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
Honeymoon over as Pocognoli's Scotland suffer domestic disharmony
Sebastien Pocognoli is left with questions to answer after an inert Scotland performance leaves him still searching for his first home win, writes Tom English.
October 6, 2026 at 10:28 PMItaly overhauls electoral system after fiercely contested debate
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says the move will deliver more stable government, but opposition parties say her aim is to stay in power.
October 8, 2026 at 12:32 PMCommentator Katie Zacharia picked as new White House press secretary
The conservative commentator currently works as a communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group.
October 9, 2026 at 06:52 PMItalian PM files to trademark her voice against AI threats
Giorgia Meloni submitted a four-second audio to a EU agency in a bid to protect her voice from deepfakes.
October 6, 2026 at 11:24 AMRonaldo provisionally suspended after national team walkout, media reports say - Reuters
Ronaldo provisionally suspended after national team walkout, media reports say Reuters
October 10, 2026 at 06:13 PMUN Human Rights office condemns racist abuse targeting Gauff - Reuters
UN Human Rights office condemns racist abuse targeting Gauff Reuters
October 10, 2026 at 01:57 PM