Paolo Maldini and Leonardo have left their senior roles with the Italian Football Federation barely two weeks after being appointed, bringing an abrupt end to the ambitious project created to rebuild the country’s struggling national-team structure.
Maldini had been appointed FIGC technical director and president of Club Italia, while former AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain executive Leonardo joined as his advisor. The pair were handed responsibility for developing a common footballing identity across Italy’s senior and youth national teams, with their contracts reportedly intended to run through the 2030 World Cup.
However, the project collapsed after FIGC president Giovanni Malagò decided against appointing Andrea Pirlo as the new Italy head coach. Pirlo had emerged as Maldini and Leonardo’s preferred candidate after approaches for Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola proved unsuccessful. Maldini and Leonardo reportedly informed Malagò of their decision after final talks failed to resolve the disagreement. Their departures came only 16 days after they had formally taken charge of Italy’s new technical structure.
Pirlo rejection triggers breakdown in trust
The disagreement was not simply about Pirlo’s suitability as a coach. Maldini and Leonardo are understood to have viewed the decision as proof that they did not possess the authority they had been promised when accepting their positions.
The pair had been brought in to lead sporting decisions, identify Italy’s next head coach and implement a long-term technical philosophy. Pirlo was seen as a candidate who matched their preference for possession-based, technically progressive football and could help move Italy away from its traditionally cautious identity.
Malagò, however, decided that the potential reputational and political consequences of appointing Pirlo could not be ignored. Pirlo had faced growing criticism over his commercial association with Fonbet, a Russian betting company. The former Italy midfielder had appeared at promotional events in Russia, leading to opposition from Italian politicians and public figures amid the continuing war in Ukraine.
Questions were also raised over whether the head coach of the Italian national team should maintain a commercial relationship with a betting company. Although reports suggested Pirlo’s contract included provisions allowing him to end the agreement if he returned to work in Italy, the controversy made his appointment increasingly difficult for the federation to defend publicly.
Pirlo later expressed disappointment over the collapse of his candidacy and insisted that the agreement was a purely commercial arrangement that did not reflect his political views. He also thanked Maldini and Leonardo for supporting his appointment.
A possible compromise involving former Juventus coach Thiago Motta was reportedly discussed, but Maldini and Leonardo were unwilling to continue without clarity over their decision-making powers. Roberto Mancini and Antonio Conte have also been linked with the vacant Italy job, although neither was considered an ideal fit for the technical project originally proposed by the departing pair.
Maldini and Leonardo had already explored the possibility of appointing Ancelotti and Guardiola. Ancelotti remained committed to Brazil, while Guardiola reportedly decided against immediately returning to management after leaving Manchester City. Their departure leaves Italy without a permanent head coach and without the leadership team appointed to reshape the national setup following another failed World Cup campaign.
The FIGC must now decide whether to appoint a coach directly or first identify a replacement technical director. Former Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini has been mentioned as a possible candidate for a senior federation role, while Mancini has emerged as one of the leading coaching options. What began as a four-year reconstruction project has therefore unravelled before its first major appointment was completed, leaving Italian football facing another period of uncertainty at both technical and institutional level.
