Massimo Gonnella
@magalocomms.bsky.social
Crisis communications and reputation management insights, drawing on experience in sports and corporate communications.
During the 2026 World Cup, a president called FIFA about one player’s suspension. FIFA has a rule for exactly this: it suspends federations for political interference. Here, it used a different rule. New on Substack: Balogun and Article 14.
magalocommunications.substack.com/p/fifa-has-a...
magalocommunications.substack.com/p/fifa-has-a...
FIFA has a rule for exactly this. It has just chosen not to use it.
This piece originally ran on LinkedIn on July 6, 2026, in the days after FIFA lifted Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension.
magalocommunications.substack.com
October 12, 2026 at 6:39 AM
During the 2026 World Cup, a president called FIFA about one player’s suspension. FIFA has a rule for exactly this: it suspends federations for political interference. Here, it used a different rule. New on Substack: Balogun and Article 14.
magalocommunications.substack.com/p/fifa-has-a...
magalocommunications.substack.com/p/fifa-has-a...
New on Substack: A white tarp became one of the best brand moments of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. An $11,000 final ticket became a crisis FIFA wasn’t ready for. Same tournament, opposite instincts.
magalocommunications.substack.com/p/the-world-...
magalocommunications.substack.com/p/the-world-...
The World Cup is the greatest communications operation on earth. Here’s what it’s teaching us.
This piece originally ran on LinkedIn on July 5, 2026, during the World Cup group stage.
magalocommunications.substack.com
October 10, 2026 at 5:58 AM
New on Substack: A white tarp became one of the best brand moments of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. An $11,000 final ticket became a crisis FIFA wasn’t ready for. Same tournament, opposite instincts.
magalocommunications.substack.com/p/the-world-...
magalocommunications.substack.com/p/the-world-...
The 2026 World Cup was IFAB’s biggest live test of the new Laws of the Game. The 5-second throw-in countdown worked beautifully. The mouth-covering red card is still finding its footing.
Here’s what survives grassroots football, and what doesn’t.
magalocommunications.substack.com/p/the-laws-o...
Here’s what survives grassroots football, and what doesn’t.
magalocommunications.substack.com/p/the-laws-o...
The Laws of the Game are changing. Not everyone got the memo.
This piece originally ran on LinkedIn on July 1, 2026, during the group stage of the World Cup, reflecting on the new IFAB rules as they were being tested in real time.
magalocommunications.substack.com
October 8, 2026 at 10:47 PM
The 2026 World Cup was IFAB’s biggest live test of the new Laws of the Game. The 5-second throw-in countdown worked beautifully. The mouth-covering red card is still finding its footing.
Here’s what survives grassroots football, and what doesn’t.
magalocommunications.substack.com/p/the-laws-o...
Here’s what survives grassroots football, and what doesn’t.
magalocommunications.substack.com/p/the-laws-o...
The boardroom calls legal, finance, and HR before it calls communications. Here's why that's a problem: communications created this for itself, not one imposed on it.
magalocommunications.substack.com/p/the-boardr...
magalocommunications.substack.com/p/the-boardr...
The Boardroom Calls Everyone Before It Calls Communications
The boardroom calls legal, finance, and HR before it calls communications. That's a problem communications created for itself, not one the boardroom imposed.
magalocommunications.substack.com
October 7, 2026 at 7:50 AM
The boardroom calls legal, finance, and HR before it calls communications. Here's why that's a problem: communications created this for itself, not one imposed on it.
magalocommunications.substack.com/p/the-boardr...
magalocommunications.substack.com/p/the-boardr...