Paolo Petrecca has stepped down from his position leading Rai Sport after his error-filled commentary during the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony turned into a nationwide humiliation.
The broadcast, which drew an audience of 9.2 million viewers on Italy’s state television network, triggered a walkout by news journalists in protest.
Petrecca’s role will conclude when the Games finish, with organisers confirming he will not provide commentary for the closing ceremony.
The embattled broadcaster had only taken on the assignment at short notice after the scheduled commentator, Auro Bulbarelli, was removed for accidentally disclosing a surprise element of the event beforehand.
His troubles began almost immediately when he welcomed the audience to the Stadio Olimpico rather than Milan’s iconic San Siro stadium, where the ceremony was actually taking place.
One critic described what followed as among the most dismal live broadcasts in Rai’s history, with the flagship Rai 1 channel commanding more than 46 per cent of the viewing audience.
Petrecca then announced the appearance of American singer Mariah Carey before hastily correcting himself to identify Italian actress Matilda De Angelis.
Paolo Petrecca has stepped down from his position leading Rai Sport after his error-filled commentary during the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony turned into a nationwide humiliation
|RAISPORT
The blunder spread rapidly across social media, with Italians sharing images of De Angelis captioned as “the amazing Mariah Carey.”
The actress responded by joking about splitting royalties for Carey’s festive hit.
Another embarrassing moment came when cameras showed President Sergio Mattarella, and Petrecca identified the woman beside him as the president’s daughter Laura, when it was actually International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry.
Paolo Petrecca mistook Matilda De Angelis for Mariah Carey
|GETTY
During the torch-passing segment involving Italy’s celebrated volleyball squads, Petrecca failed to recognise Simone Giannelli, captain of the men’s team, instead naming a player from the women’s side.
The commentary deteriorated further when he turned to national stereotypes about competing delegations.
He remarked that Brazilians were born with music in their veins, made references to African “voodoo rites,” and described Spanish athletes as “always very hot,” employing the Spanish term “calienti.”
The journalists’ union Usigrai condemned his performance as a “serious blow” to the public broadcaster’s reputation.
Bulbarelli, the commentator originally removed from the opening ceremony, has now been reinstated to cover the closing event.
Paolo Petrecca will not provide commentary for the Winter Olympics closing ceremony
|RAISPORT
Petrecca is regarded as having close ties to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, having publicly presented her book “I Am Giorgia” while heading Rai’s news channel a year before she entered office.
His departure was widely anticipated, and Marco Lollobrigida, considered among the broadcaster’s leading sports presenters, will assume his responsibilities.
The episode has intensified criticism from those who accuse the government of exerting pressure on the state broadcaster at the cost of programme quality.
Detractors have taken to calling the network “TeleMeloni,” reflecting concerns about political interference in Italy’s public service broadcasting during the current administration.