Updated: 27 Jul 2026 19:34 BST |
7 min read
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Italian football has been plunged back into crisis, just when it looked as though it could start a new cycle with optimism.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) cleaned house after the national team failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup following a penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March.
The Azzurri’s sporting leadership was restructured, while Gennaro Gattuso left his position as head coach. Before appointing a successor, the FIGC wanted to build a new management structure.
AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini was named technical director of the Italian national team, while his former teammate Leonardo became his right-hand man, serving as an advisor.
The two were tasked with finding a new head coach and homed in on four main candidates: Roberto Mancini, Andrea Pirlo, Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola. Concrete discussions with the latter were first revealed last week.
From Guardiola to Pirlo
Maldini and Leonardo met with the legendary former Man City boss in Barcelona to present their long-term vision for the national team and Italian football at large. They must have left an impression because it took Guardiola almost a week to make a decision.
The Italian press started to write that the appointment of the Spaniard, Italy’s saviour, was no longer a “dream” but a “concrete scenario.” However, to their shock, the 55-year-old turned down the job.
Italian media initially claimed that this was because the FIGC couldn’t satisfy his financial demands. In reality, it was a personal decision, with Guardiola keen to focus on his family after an exhausting, era-defining decade in the Premier League.
With Ancelotti having also rejected the job, Maldini was forced to pivot back around to an old friend of his: Pirlo. He had already sought to link up with the former midfield maestro during his time as AC Milan’s sporting director, but it wasn’t to be.
This was the chance to finally start working together, with Pirlo chomping at the bit to get started. The 47-year-old, currently in charge of Dubai United after unsuccessful spells at Juventus, Karagumruk and Sampdoria, quickly accepted the FIGC’s offer.
Then disaster struck – at least as far as Maldini and Pirlo were concerned.
Pirlo appointment collapses
FIGC president Giovanni Malago succumbed to political pressure and vetoed the appointment of the long-time Juventus star. Links to pariah state Russia doomed Pirlo, not his uninspiring coaching record.
Dubai United are owned by Russian billionaire Sergey Lomakin, who is reported to have business interests in Fonbet, one of the Eastern European country’s largest sports betting companies.
Last year, Pirlo became a global ambassador for Fonbet, which is on Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency blacklist, leading to scrutiny over his managerial position and relationship with Lomakin. The Italian insists that his links to Fonbet are “strictly commercial and sporting in nature.”
“Attributing political significance to this collaboration implies that I hold views I have never expressed and do not share,” Pirlo added in a statement on social media.
His comments weren’t enough, however. He was informed that he was no longer under consideration for the Italy job and that the FIGC were now considering different options, with Mancini now among the top options.
Maldini resigns
However, Malago’s decision to veto the appointment of Pirlo set off a ticking time bomb that has now exploded. Maldini and Leonardo feel that the president encroached on their work and have handed in their resignation after just 16 days in the job, according to Sky Italia.
The news of the resignation broke during a Federal Assembly between the FIGC and various key Italian stakeholders such as Serie A, Serie B and the Italian Footballers’ Association, among others. The people in attendance learned of Maldini’s decision to quit via the media.
“We learned about Maldini and Leonardo’s resignations on TV, and we’ve taken note of it,” Serie A president Ezio Maria Simonelli said. “Surprised? I’d say no, it was in the air. Maldini had chosen Pirlo, but he won’t be the coach.
“I’m disappointed because I think Maldini was a great choice, a valuable person, and I would have appreciated, for the entire football movement, his continued involvement.”
President of the National Amateur League, Giancarlo Abete, revealed: “We learned about it at the end of the committee meeting, from media reports. Until 45 minutes ago, we were thinking about the alternatives proposed by the technical director and the advisor. Now we need to start again with a serious project.”
A Federal Council is scheduled to take place tomorrow, Tuesday. At present, it seems unlikely that the FIGC will be able to appoint a new technical director, although Giorgio Chiellini has emerged as an early favourite for the role.
As for the head coaching position, Mancini is now in pole position, but Antonio Conte is “in the background.” The former Chelsea manager, who quit his role at Napoli with the intention of returning to the Azzurri dugout, has yet to actually be contacted by the FIGC.
It has been the worst possible start to Italy’s new World Cup cycle.
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