Massimo Righi, president of the Serie A Volleyball League, remains among the most popular Italian sports managers, according to the annual ranking compiled by StageUp and Ipsos Doxa.
The Sponsor Value Manager survey—conducted by StageUp and Ipsos Doxa—has analyzed the awareness and appreciation of sports managers among Italians since 2020. In the awareness category, Aurelio De Laurentiis, President of SSC Napoli, remains the most popular manager for the fifth consecutive year with 61.2%, followed by John Elkann (46.6%) and Giuseppe Marotta (48.6%).
The top three managers who enjoy the highest respect (calculated based on a score of 6 or higher on a scale of 1 to 10) are figures far removed from the world of football: in first place is the newly appointed CONI president Luciano Buonfiglio (69.5%), followed by the president of the Serie A Basketball League Maurizio Gherardini (67.7%), and rounding out the podium is the president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation Angelo Binaghi (67.3%). Massimo Righi, president of the Serie A Volleyball League, ranks fourth with 66.7%.
StageUp President Giovanni Palazzi emphasized “the affirmation and esteem of institutional figures such as the president of CONI Luciano Buonfiglio, the president of the Basketball League Maurizio Gherardini, the president of the Italian Tennis Federation Angelo Binaghi, and the president of the Volleyball League Massimo Righi, which demonstrate how Italians recognize the value of those who can perform governance roles with competence and vision.”
STAGEUP, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Bologna, is a research and consulting firm that supports players operating in the sports, culture, and entertainment markets (sports & culture & entertainment makers, sponsors, broadcasters, concessionaires, media centers, and public entities) in their paths to optimization, growth, and innovation. The company combines the business acumen of a consulting firm, the data expertise of a research firm, and the innovative approach of a technology startup, offering concrete and diversified solutions to address the most complex challenges. Its services range from opinion research and media analysis to sponsorship, event, and brand evaluations, as well as advisory and management consulting for sponsorships in the fields of communications, marketing, sales, and technology. StageUp is a partner of Assirm, a market, social, and opinion research firm.
