Ternana Calcio, a historic Italian football club in Serie C, has made headlines by appointing 23-year-old Claudia Rizzo as its new president. 

This bold move makes Rizzo the first woman to lead the club in its 100-year history and one of the youngest football presidents in Italy. 

Though she is the daughter of the club’s new billionaire owner, Rizzo brings business experience from managing her family’s olive oil company and is focused on leading a “modern” project. 

Her youth and groundbreaking position have turned the small club into a viral sensation, drawing a new wave of fans from all over the world as she aims to bring stability and push for a future stadium upgrade.

Rizzo’s appointment is a remarkable event in Italy’s football landscape, which has traditionally been dominated by male leaders. 

At 23, she is officially one of the youngest club presidents in the country’s history. 

Only two others were younger when they took charge: Alessandro Ruggeri, who became the head of Atalanta at age 21 in 2008, and Umberto Agnelli, who was 22 when he became Juventus president in 1955.

Despite her limited football management experience, Rizzo, a former pentathlete, emphasized her commitment during her first press conference. 

“I am honored to assume the presidency of a club with such a prestigious history as Ternana Calcio, in the year of its centenary,” she stated. 

She noted that she is supported by a team, including veteran advisor Massimo Ferrero, a former Sampdoria owner who helped with the acquisition. 

Her vision is clear: “Our goal is to build a solid, modern, and transparent project that puts people and the values of sport at its centre.”

Before taking on the challenge of professional football, Claudia Rizzo was already managing the family’s thriving olive oil business, Oro di Sikelia, back in Sicily. 

This background in business is expected to shape her approach to running Ternana.

The club, nicknamed the Rossoverdi (Red-Greens), has a colorful history that includes two brief appearances in the top-flight Serie A in the 1970s and nearly 30 seasons spent in Serie B. 

Notable alumni have included Chilean star Luis Jimenez and Italian great Paolo Di Canio. 

Ternana currently sits mid-table in Serie C Group B with a respectable 10 points after six games. 

Rizzo, who grew up a fan of the team by watching them on TV, is now focused on strengthening ties with the players, staff, and the town of Terni, home to about 100,000 passionate supporters. 

One of her biggest goals for the future is securing a much-needed stadium upgrade to modernize the facilities.

Rizzo’s youth, elegance, and groundbreaking position instantly turned the Serie C club into a global topic. 

Photos of the new president, often seen wearing stylish outfits at training sessions, quickly went viral across social media platforms. 

Fans from around the world posted comments, with many declaring, “Never heard of Ternana before today. I’m now a lifelong supporter.” 

The sudden spike in international attention has provided an immediate and unexpected boost to the club’s profile.

While some critics point to her lack of experience or the fact that her father owns the club, Rizzo is not deterred. 

By emphasizing teamwork and prioritizing the relationship between the club and its city, she is sending a message that her leadership will be hands-on and focused on genuine growth. 

For a sport that is often slow to change, Claudia Rizzo’s arrival as a young, female leader at the helm of a historic club could prove to be a defining moment for Italian football as Ternana moves toward its next century.