Italy's Rai Sport chief Paolo Petrecca has resigned following a series of embarrassing on-air errors during the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony. His commentary, which went viral for all the wrong reasons, was watched by 9.2 million viewers and prompted a brief strike by Rai journalists.

The gaffe-filled broadcast included mistaking Italian actress Matilda De Angelis for Mariah Carey, misidentifying International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry as Italian President Sergio Mattarella's daughter, and failing to recognize men's volleyball captain Simone Giannelli. Petrecca, a last-minute replacement who had previously presented Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's book on Rai's news channel, also resorted to national stereotypes about Brazilians, Africans, and Spaniards.

Petrecca's resignation, effective after the Games, comes as Rai faces criticism over perceived government interference in editorial decisions. He will be replaced by colleague Marco Lollobrigida for the closing ceremony, while the original commentator Auro Bulbarelli returns to his role. The incident has sparked debate about Rai's editorial independence and the quality of its Olympic coverage.