Former Palermo President Paul Baccaglini has been found dead at his home

Shockwaves have been sent through Italian football following the death of Paul Baccaglini at the age of 41. The former Palermo FC president was found dead on Tuesday at his home in Segrate, a town in the Milan metropolitan area.

According to the Italian press, his partner discovered Baccaglini's body, and authorities are treating it as a possible suicide. The news has stunned the Italian public, as Baccaglini was known not only for his role at the 'Rosanero' club, but also as a media personality.

Palermo FC released a statement expressing their sadness at the news: "Palermo FC, along with president Dario Mirri and the entire City Football Group family, expresses its condolences for the premature death of Paul Baccaglini, president of US Città di Palermo during the final months of the 2016-17 season."

Paul Baccaglini, born to Italian-American parents, rose to fame in Italy as a reporter on the programme 'Le Iene', a format known in Spain and several Latin American countries as 'Caiga Quien Caiga'. He later left television to pursue a career in finance.

It was through this path that the former reporter arrived at the presidency of Palermo FC. In March 2017, amidst a precarious situation, an investment fund with Paul Baccaglini as its public face reached an agreement with then-owner Maurizio Zamparini to acquire the club. As a sign of confidence, he was appointed president and spent three months in charge before the purchase fell through, forcing him to resign.

Zamparini later claimed that he had to reject the offer due to "insufficient financial backing". "Baccaglini wanted to buy Palermo FC for 20 million euros in instalments," the director stated, accusing the former president of having "nothing behind him" in reference to the supposed investment fund with which he arrived to boost a struggling Palermo FC, which was eventually re-founded in 2019.