Paolo Maldini, the Italian football legend, will oversee Italy's football federation as technical director following the nation's failure to reach three consecutive World Cups. Giovanni Malago, the newly-elected FIGC president, made the appointment, saying Maldini was always his first choice for the role.
"I believed he was the ideal candidate to lead our technical operations," Malago told reporters, noting the position covers both the senior squad and the entire youth development system.
The federation confirmed that Leonardo, the former sporting chief at Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, will advise Maldini throughout the four-year project aimed at restoring Italy to competitiveness by 2030. The roadmap includes the 2026 World Cup and the European Championship in between.
At 58, Maldini will hold a dual role as both technical director and president of Club Italia, an unprecedented arrangement at the FIGC. This dual position grants him complete control over all sporting matters involving every national team, whether men's or women's sides.
The Azzurri face an uphill battle to reclaim their status among football's elite, having missed the last three World Cups despite winning Euro 2020. Italy's dreams of reaching the 2026 tournament ended when Gennaro Gattuso's side fell to Bosnia-Herzegovina on penalties in a European qualifying play-off last March.
Gattuso stepped down following that defeat, leaving Maldini and Malago tasked with identifying a new manager. Antonio Conte, who guided Italy from 2014 to 2016, has emerged as a candidate after departing Napoli last month.
Maldini's playing career spanned entirely at AC Milan, where he claimed seven Serie A titles and five Champions League crowns. He earned 126 Italy caps across four World Cups and three European Championships, finishing runner-up in both the 1994 World Cup and Euro 2000.
Following his retirement, Maldini replaced Leonardo as AC Milan's sporting director in 2019, serving until 2023. Malago, elected FIGC chief in late June, previously headed the organizing committee for Milan-Cortina's 2026 Winter Olympics.
