The situation in the Italian Football Federation involving Paolo Maldini, Leonardo and Andrea Pirlo is dominating the headlines.
It has been a very messy past couple of days for Italian football, which seems to be a running theme. It has seen Maldini and Leonardo resigned after just 16 days in charge of the FIGC, following Giovanni Malagò’s refusal to hire Pirlo as Italy’s new coach due to ties to a Russian betting firm.
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The reconstruction from various sources is that – after trying for Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti – the new directors turned to Pirlo. However, Malago tried to convince Maldini and Leonardo that he was not the most appropriate candidate because of off-field matters mainly.
‘Yet another blunder in Italian football’
Malago pushed for Antonio Conte or Roberto Mancini but was met with resignations instead. Antonio Vitiello spoke about the soap opera that has unfolded in the past 48 hours concerning the position of head coach in a column on MilanNews.
“Let’s close with a mention of the disaster that occurred at the Federation. What’s the point of going after Paolo Maldini, courting him for a long time, only to then limit his choices and give him little freedom to manoeuvre?
“Maldini is a man who has never compromised. He’s always been that way, both during his extraordinary career as a player and as a Milan director. It’s therefore natural that he would decide to resign if he sees incompatibilities around him that make it impossible to work.
“A grave mistake has been made, yet another blunder in Italian football. It’s a shame because another opportunity to overhaul the system and implement profound reforms has been missed. Regardless of the choice of the new coach, be it Pirlo, Mancini, or Conte, what really matters are the reforms.
“Otherwise, Italian football will never emerge from the crisis it has been plunged into for the past fifteen years. The Federation has already made a terrible statement with this glaring blunder against Paolo Maldini.
“Now a more experienced coach will be appointed, but we’ve seen in the past that even highly experienced coaches have failed as Italy’s coach. So we always come back to the same point: it’s not just the coach who makes the difference.
“A profound reform is needed, starting with the youth, because the real problem with Italian football is that it no longer produces players and talent like it once did.”
Got forbid actions have consequences…
Pirlo was already wealthy enough, doing this tastless collab with RuZZians brought this onto himself
Totally agree 👍
Come on, man, don’t start this again…
Piffle
💯
My respect toward Pirlo went down. Some people will do anything for money.
its always better with russian than american
Cry u racist. Pirlo did nothing wrong and that idiot malago ruined a perfect combo for Italys future.
Hmmm italy and their mediocracy
Roberto Baggio is someone who actually knows this kind of bureaucracy from inside.
Doing a Nepo hire Pirlo as his first action and people are defending him lmao
Italy is in sh*t already, since you gave him the job, let him do his work and then you can blame after….
Nepo? probably. Qualified? time could tell.
They also tried Motta…but you guys want dino coaches…so good luck in 2034…
They tried nothing they made a show for Guardiola so they can get their buddy in
No thanks Mancini is 1000 times better
That’s why he shoved it to ur A** for Saudi Money 😀
I didn’t know that Pirlo was coaching in the 2nd tier division of the UAE league after coaching Sampdoria in serie B.
There got to be a better progressive coaching solution in serie A than Pirlo.
Spain have De la Fuente who was coaching their u19 and u21, winning Euros and Olympic medal before moving to the senior team and he is current euro and wolrd cup champ.
Didn’t Italy just won euro u19? How come those coaches weren’t considered?
Pirlo was all time great player but he was a terrible choice to be the new coach.
Amateur hour. I wonder why Italy hasn’t been to the WC in almost two decades… 🙄🙄🙄
“Now a more experienced coach will be appointed, but we’ve seen in the past that even highly experienced coaches have failed as Italy’s coach…”
Talking trash just to support the hero. Meanwhile, in all honesty, not every decision is justifiable, just like the choice of Pirlo.
Someone needs to remind Vitiello that the last time Italy lifted the world cup was 20 years ago, and it was done by a “highly experienced coach” Marcelo Lippi.
The age has never been the problem especially in international football. Look, coach Luis de la Fuente is 65 years old and just won the world cup, but in Italy it’s from one baseless disposition to another.
Pirlo was never a good pick, it’s that simple.
Stop trying hard to justify that decision.
stfu you pig. you know nothing about character and integrity. piece of nonsense
Empty skuulll… basket head.
Full of insults and abuses, can’t win an argument with points, just troll.
Garbage, piece of sheeit.
JOH-HN Legend is changing career from rapper to Pig, lmao
Btw, he is keeping the side job, which is a bot fan worked for Cardale, his dear boss.
nonsense is required when ” J the Legend’ is in the house! 😀
Hello Rosso-DeJoke,
I’m glad I always put a smile on that your face as ugly as your handle.
Anyways, ain’t planning to disappoint you anytime soon… just keep cheering me on and God will continue to give me the strength.
Do you need some money?
As usual, you manage to sound like a complete fool.
The question is that.. were they hell bent on it being pirlo that they resigned or were being shoved Mancini down their throats?.. because it it is the former and then am sorry Maldini, with all the optics around Pirlo, you are beginning to show that maybe you really are difficult to work with.. This is not playing football anymore..
Italy is allergic to change. PERIOD.
Italy sure looks like they will miss the 2030 World Cup too at this rate lol
Luckily Fifa is expending the world cup to 64 teams.
Maldini brings his friend Leonardo as an advisor. Tried to hire his friend Pirlo as a coach. Next move would have been give Daniel the captains armband and guaranteed place in the lineup.
Malago just saved Italy from hiring NT version of Marco Giampaolo
So what? He did not go to Malago for the position, They literally lick his boots to accept the job.
He wanted to hire Pirlo, How bad it could be? Could judge him for 1 year…no wonder why good coach does not want to be coach of Italy nor Italy has money…
Who lost their credibility? Italia or Maldini ..huh
What a silly hill to die on. Pirlo as the chosen one? Literally going from Pep (unrealistic) to Don Carlo (impossible) to Pirlo (unqualified and apparently ineligible) is madness. What a joke and embarrassment for all involved.
What, JOH_HN?? Pi-G, making sense, you don’t like Pirlo, hmm…?
Legend is in the house.
You fool with shaft in the brain… where did I ever state that I don’t like Pirlo… you’re just too dumb to be doing this, please leave it for intellectual people… but feel free to masturbate on my name.
Scrrreeeemmm… Out… Louddddd…. John! Yeah, say my name son.
@Rosso Dejon, if only you had a brain….Your IQ and shoe size are the same aren’t they.!?!?
……”because the real problem with Italian football is that it no longer produces players and talent like it once did.”
This is the most important piece of this article. 100% accurate and the reason why Italian football is suffering!!
there us a breakdown in the system as
Italy can win titles at u17, u19 & u21
in the last 20 years, Spain are there or therabouts at hose levels too. so i can say that it is not a matter of talent
there are 2 differences between the Italian and Spanish
Spain play the same style through all the levels through to the senior team, Italy dont. Mainly as they will select a former club coach who will play his own way
Secondly, the Spanish give opportunities to their youngsters, Italians dont. Especially the big teams
just my 2cents worth
Italy won their last youth title with the U-17s in January of this year, the last time they won similar was 2 years ago in 2024 when Camarda was on the U-17s team.
Their only other title in recent history was a U-19 title in 2023.
They aren’t “constantly winning” in youth tournaments like you guys think.