Paolo Maldini has resigned from his role as technical director of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), just 16 days after his appointment. His adviser, Leonardo, has also departed. These resignations follow the decision not to appoint Andrea Pirlo as the new head coach for Italy, a choice that reportedly stemmed from concerns over Pirlo’s commercial ties to a Russian betting company.
Maldini and Leonardo had been brought in to lead a significant restructuring within the FIGC. This overhaul was initiated after the Azzurri failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive tournament. The pair were tasked with finding a new head coach and rebuilding the national team.
Head Coach Search Complications
The search for Italy’s new head coach has faced several challenges. Pirlo, who was Maldini and Leonardo’s preferred candidate, was ultimately ruled out. This decision came after objections were raised by some FIGC officials and politicians regarding his role as a global ambassador for Russian bookmaker Fonbet. Pirlo, a former Azzurri midfielder at 47 years old and a World Cup winner in 2006, defended his involvement with the company, stating that his collaboration was exclusively commercial and sporting, not political.
Pirlo had announced on Monday that he was no longer in contention for the position, having learned the previous night that he was no longer a candidate. He expressed bitterness over the debate surrounding his name and the possibility of taking on the head coach role. His ambassadorial agreement with Fonbet was signed in October.
Prior to Pirlo, the FIGC had also approached other high-profile managers. Pep Guardiola was contacted and met with Maldini and Leonardo in Barcelona. They presented him with an extensive ‘Azzurro project’ that aimed to rebuild Italian football across all national teams, not just the senior squad. However, Guardiola reportedly rejected the proposal for personal reasons.
Carlo Ancelotti was also contacted before Guardiola, according to Maldini, but he holds a contract with the Brazil national team. The head coach position has been vacant since Gennaro Gattuso’s departure, which occurred after Italy’s loss on penalties to Bosnia-Herzegovina in April, leading to their failure to qualify for the World Cup.
Political and Community Reaction
The controversy surrounding Pirlo’s potential appointment drew criticism from various figures. Carlo Calenda of the centrist Azione party stated that anyone promoting Russia after 2022 should not hold national office. Pina Picierno, a vice-president of the European Parliament, commented that the choice of Pirlo went against the cultural, ethical, and managerial revolution that Italian football desperately needed.
Conversely, the Russian ambassador in Rome, Aleksey Paramonov, offered support to Pirlo, expressing sadness that, despite his contributions to world sport and Italy’s image, he was being ostracized in his own country. Scrutiny of Pirlo’s ties to Fonbet intensified last spring when he participated in an event in Moscow, where he signed autographs alongside former teammate Marco Materazzi at Luzhniki Stadium. This event also featured pro-Kremlin pop star Shaman.
Ukrainian skeleton slider Vladyslav Heraskevych criticised Pirlo for his appearance at the Luzhniki event, noting it occurred on the same day as a significant Russian attack on Ukraine. Heraskevych also pointed out Pirlo’s appearance alongside Russian footballer Artem Dzyuba, who had expressed pride in being Russian on social media after the war in Ukraine began. Heraskevych remarked that it was “sad to see childhood legends turn into moral bankrupts.”
The double departure of Maldini and Leonardo creates an immediate challenge for the newly appointed federation president, Giovanni Malagò. The federation is now without a clear national team strategy at a time when Italian football is described as being at its lowest point in nearly 40 years, following early European exits for Italian clubs last season and another failure to qualify for the World Cup. Other managers reportedly being considered for the vacant head coach role include Roberto Mancini, Thiago Motta, and Antonio Conte.
Maldini was appointed technical director on 11 July.
Source: skysports.com