Simonelli previously ran for the presidency of Serie B twice but was unsuccessful on both occasions. (Credit: Serie A)

Lorenzo Casini's reign as president of Italian soccer's top-tier Serie A has come to an end, with the league naming Ezio Simonelli as his successor. 

The announcement follows a gathering of the Serie A assembly for the first round of voting on December 9, where Simonelli gained 13 votes, followed by another round on December 20 which saw him gain enough votes to become president.

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Simonelli acquired more votes than the two most recent presidents, since Casini, who has been in place since March 2022, won with 11 votes, while Paolo Dal Pino was elected in January 2020 with 12 votes.

Before soccer, Simonelli was originally in accounting, notably being a former accountant of the late Silvio Berlusconi, however, most recently he has been the managing partner of the Simonelli Associates law firm, as well as chair of the board of auditors for Mediaset Italia.

A chartered accountant, he has also previously attempted to become president of the second-tier Serie B but was unsuccessful in both 2013 and 2021.

Simonelli is a long-time friend of Monza chief executive Adriano Galliani, who currently chairs the board of auditors of both Mediaset and publishing heavyweight Mondadori. 

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The two other candidates in the running for the Serie A presidency were Carlo Bonomi and Umberto Gandini, who was reportedly the preferred choice for Gabriele Gravini, chief executive at Italian soccer's FIGC governing body. 

The Serie A chief executive, Luigi De Siervo, has been in place since early 2019, meanwhile, having been elected in December 2018.