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Italian football legend Paolo Maldini has been offered the job of national team technical director as the Azzurri continue their restructuring in the wake of another failure to qualify for the World Cup.
New national federation (FIGC) president Giovanni Malagò told Rai Radio 1 that he has offered the job to former AC Milan great Maldini and was waiting for an answer.
Malagò named Maldini an "ideal candidate" because he has "a track record and skills that encompass not only his career as a player, but also as an official.
But Malagò also conceded that nothing is decided yet and therefore "important to have a plan B and possibly Plan C. I am very relaxed."
Maldini won the European Cup/Champions league five times and seven Serie A titles in his one-club playing career at Milan spanning more than two decades in the first team alone. The defender won 126 Italy Cups, playing in the finals of the 1994 World Cup and Euros in 2000.
Maldini was also technical director at Milan 2019-2023.
The new technical director is to help find a new coach, with Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini the reported frontrunners and both without a club.
It would be a return for either man as Conte coached the Azzurri 2014-2016 and Mancini 2018-2023, highlighted by the Euro 2021 title.
By the end of the week at the latest, I will also be taking stock of the situation regarding the coach," Malagò said.
Mancini's term included failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, after Italy also didn't feature in 2018.
Missing the current tournament is the third straight failure and in spring led to the resignation of coach Gennaro Gattuso, team coordinator Gianluigi Buffon and FIGC president Gabriele Gravina.
Malagò, who was Italian Olympic Committee president from 2012 to 2025 and organizing committee president of this year's Milan/Cortina Winter Olympics, was elected FIGC president two weeks ago.
Continue reading...
New national federation (FIGC) president Giovanni Malagò told Rai Radio 1 that he has offered the job to former AC Milan great Maldini and was waiting for an answer.
Malagò named Maldini an "ideal candidate" because he has "a track record and skills that encompass not only his career as a player, but also as an official.
But Malagò also conceded that nothing is decided yet and therefore "important to have a plan B and possibly Plan C. I am very relaxed."
Maldini won the European Cup/Champions league five times and seven Serie A titles in his one-club playing career at Milan spanning more than two decades in the first team alone. The defender won 126 Italy Cups, playing in the finals of the 1994 World Cup and Euros in 2000.
Maldini was also technical director at Milan 2019-2023.
The new technical director is to help find a new coach, with Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini the reported frontrunners and both without a club.
It would be a return for either man as Conte coached the Azzurri 2014-2016 and Mancini 2018-2023, highlighted by the Euro 2021 title.
By the end of the week at the latest, I will also be taking stock of the situation regarding the coach," Malagò said.
Mancini's term included failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, after Italy also didn't feature in 2018.
Missing the current tournament is the third straight failure and in spring led to the resignation of coach Gennaro Gattuso, team coordinator Gianluigi Buffon and FIGC president Gabriele Gravina.
Malagò, who was Italian Olympic Committee president from 2012 to 2025 and organizing committee president of this year's Milan/Cortina Winter Olympics, was elected FIGC president two weeks ago.
Continue reading...
