Legend Maldini resigns, Roberto Mancini to be coach and Chiellini the new technical director of Italy?

Only 16 days after taking up the position of Technical Director at the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the legendary Paolo Maldini and his special advisor Leonardo have chosen to step down.

The reason is deep disagreements regarding the process of selecting the new head coach of the Italian national team.

According to Sky Sport Italia, the position of Technical Director at FIGC was created by FIGC President Giovanni Malagò to build a more modern management model for the national teams.

This role was empowered to coordinate the entire youth development system, football academies, and directly participate in selecting the head coach of the Italian national team, thereby creating a unified identity for the country's football.

However, the plan quickly encountered difficulties when the top two targets, Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola, both declined the offer to lead the Azzurri. Subsequently, Andrea Pirlo emerged as an alternative, but the deal quickly fell apart after information surfaced that the former midfielder was a global brand ambassador for the Russian betting company Fonbet.

This is not only a matter of ethics and image but also involves legal factors, as promoting betting sites is prohibited under Italian law.

Multiple sources say President Malagò vetoed the appointment of Pirlo, contrary to the wishes of Maldini and Leonardo. Disagreements over who would take over the head coach position then became increasingly intense, leading to a deadlock in relations between the parties.

Sky Sport Italia confirms that Maldini and Leonardo have decided to resign, and the official announcement is expected to be made on the evening of July 27 (local time). Notably, both were only appointed on July 11, after weeks of negotiations over a comprehensive reform project for Italian football.

After the departure of Maldini and Leonardo, President Giovanni Malagò is reportedly set to directly decide the person to lead the national team before appointing a new Technical Director for Club Italia. According to multiple sources, Roberto Mancini is currently the strongest candidate for the head coach position.

Initially, according to the model proposed by Malagò when he ran for FIGC President, the Technical Director of Club Italia would be responsible for selecting the head coach and overseeing the entire youth training system. However, after all three options – Ancelotti, Guardiola, and Pirlo – failed for various reasons, this plan had to be changed.

Instead of prioritizing a replacement for Maldini, Malagò is reportedly going to finalize the head coach himself first, and then appoint a new Technical Director. The leading candidate for this position is Giorgio Chiellini, former Italy captain and currently holding a leadership role at Juventus.

If Chiellini is appointed, his top choice would likely be Roberto Mancini. The 61-year-old coach led the Italian national team from 2018 to August 2023, guiding the Azzurri to win EURO 2020 before unexpectedly resigning amid conflicts with the FIGC leadership. He then moved to coach the Saudi Arabia national team with a more attractive compensation package, but only stayed until October 2024. Mancini's most recent job was as head coach of Al Sadd, but he also left that club last month.