The glittering opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics turned into a professional catastrophe for Paolo Petrecca, head of Rai Sport, whose commentary blunders prompted his resignation following widespread condemnation. Broadcasting to a record 9.2 million viewers on Italy’s state television network, Petrecca’s error-strewn performance triggered a journalists’ strike and became a national talking point.
Petrecca had been a last-minute replacement for the scheduled commentator who was removed after prematurely revealing a ceremonial surprise element. His tenure quickly unraveled with a series of high-profile mistakes that spread rapidly across social media platforms.
The commentary mishaps began immediately when Petrecca incorrectly welcomed viewers to Rome’s Stadio Olimpico instead of Milan’s iconic San Siro stadium, the actual venue. He then mistakenly identified Italian actress Matilda De Angelis as international superstar Mariah Carey—a gaffe that went viral and prompted De Angelis to humorously suggest sharing rights to Carey’s famous Christmas song.
The errors continued as Petrecca misidentified the daughter of President Sergio Mattarella, confusing her with International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry. He further demonstrated poor preparation by failing to recognize Italian men’s volleyball captain Simone Giannelli during the torch ceremony, instead naming a member of the women’s team.
The commentary descended into uncomfortable stereotyping as Petrecca remarked that Brazilians had “music in their blood,” referenced African “voodoo rites,” and described Spaniards as “always very hot” using the incorrect Spanish term “calienti” instead of “caliente.”
Rai’s journalists’ union Usigrai condemned the broadcast as a “serious blow” to the public broadcaster’s reputation. The original commentator, Auro Bulbarelli, has been reinstated for the closing ceremony. Petrecca will be succeeded by Marco Lollobrigida, one of Rai’s most respected sports presenters.
The incident has intensified criticism of government influence on Rai, with opponents dubbing the network “TeleMeloni” due to Petrecca’s perceived closeness to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party. Petrecca had previously presented Meloni’s book “I Am Giorgia” before her election victory, raising concerns about political appointments compromising broadcasting standards.