Paolo Maldini was announced as the new technical director of the Italian Football Federation yesterday, and it’s a decision that Fabio Capello is really happy with.
After appointing the new president of the FIGC, the next step was the technical director position. Fortunately, the primary choice was announced yesterday, namely Paolo Maldini. The Milan legend is thus back working in football, three years after leaving the Rossoneri.
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The reactions have been very positive so far, especially given how much Maldini means to Italian football, and the legendary manager Fabio Capello has echoed that. Indeed, he thinks it was absolutely the right choice, as told to Gazzetta dello Sport.
Capello, is it the right choice?
“Absolutely, and I’m really happy about it. Paolo was the first name on the list and he’s finally here. He’s definitely the right person. I’m happy for the national team and for him.
“He’s serious, capable, and attentive. He doesn’t just talk, he works, he has ideas, and he will have a well-defined project in his head.”
Does the same appreciation apply to Leonardo?
“He’s another one who knows a lot about football. If Maldini wanted him by his side, reuniting a partnership that had also formed at AC Milan, it’s because there’s a lot to do. We need to catch up on many fronts, starting obviously with young talent.
“It’s a huge commitment they have chosen to take on because they are convinced. And then, I repeat, even if it may seem obvious, they are both capable and, even more importantly, they understand football.”
There is undoubtedly a lot to do, not just because the Italian clubs are facing tough times but also because the national team has failed to qualify for the World Cup three times in a row. That simply cannot be the case for a football nation like Italy.
I figured this was the role he was waiting for or for the current Milan ownership to vanish. I’m happy for him. Hope he does well and once day return to Milan.
You must have forgotten the role he was waiting on in Fenerbahce just couple weeks ago but unfortunately he and his friend who was a candidate for president of the club lost the elections.
He said publicly he won’t join them even if he wins. Before the election? You must have made up something?
He is always a troll
If they won the election they’d probably sign your Leao, now even they don’t want to sign him
Sure thing buddy.
He was traveling back and forth, sitting their on election day and abandoning him like a coward for moral support. Yeah I must have made that up.
I appreciate Paolo so much that I would now cheer on the italian national team over my own
Emphasise on keeping at least 2 Italians in matchday squads if not first 11. 60-70 percent Italians in Primavera teams. Overhaul the grass root. Make sure clubs follow a set structure by the Federation. Penalise clubs who don’t.
The entire pipeline has been brocken. Set development structures. It’s not a one year job. To win the World Cup again, there has to be continued supply chain engine that will run for years…Next World Cup qualifying, then Next World Cup progress deep, then next World Cup Semi Final/Final and the. Finally Win… it’s a 10+ year job to fix the entire chain system from talent pickin to development to first team quality to polishing and finally excellence…. is almost fully brocken.
Club football’s 1st objective is to become the supply field of players for the national team than provide entertainment to fans. There is no point if your club wins champions leagues but that benefit is nowhere reflected in the national team.
There was a time when a country known for defense had also a 1st 11 of quality forwards. There was a time when Baresi could not be included in 1st 11 because of better (sorry, IDK who was better than Baresi other than Maldini) players occupied his position.
This! I agree on the most part. There needs to be an overhaul from ground up. I believe it was the German federation which instituted mandatory game time for young German players. As such it was sort of mandatory to play German players and thus develop. Italy should implement something like that.
I think labour laws prevent them from putting on limits based on nationality, what the FIGC can do is give bonuses to teams based on the number of Italians they play. For example:
3 Italian starters – €10 million bonus at the end of the season
4 Italian starters – €15 million bonus at the end of the season.
5 Italian starters – €20 million bonus at the end of the season.
Smaller teams obviously don’t generate as much revenue, so this would incentivise them.
A very nice idea… Incentives….and I am from Asia so never realised there could be labour law restrictions….Yes there could be…I understand now that being a part of EU might have some restrictions, you cannot close your country to other EU countries but expect all the benefits of being in EU. Can expect benefits if you don’t allow others to benefit from you. You have to keep your country open….
But slightly modifying labour law, at least temporarily, if possible through EU Parliament permissions…..so that the country’s benefits are slightly kept higher and not undermined just because you have to keep your country’s economy and money making sectors open to for the entire EU. To get Italy back, special measures have to be taken, tough decisions have to be taken, extra ordinary measures have to taken because the repercussions are becoming extra ordinary too….a 4 time world cup winning country has not qualified for a hat-trick of world cups…this is an extraordinary situation…so present situation has to be slightly modified to accomodate extra ordinary measures.