Key Takeaways:
- FIGC President Giovanni Malagò aims to appoint Paolo Maldini as technical director before naming Antonio Conte head coach
- Maldini has been offered sweeping powers over the Italy national team’s technical and youth sectors
- These proposals will be discussed at the upcoming federal council meeting on Wednesday, but concerns remain over the lack of alternatives and Maldini’s possible hesitation
Malagò’s Ambitious Restructuring for the Italy National Team
Giovanni Malagò, the recently elected President of the FIGC, is accelerating plans to restructure the Italy national team’s leadership. According to Thursday’s reports and La Gazzetta dello Sport, Malagò’s vision is to have Paolo Maldini assume the position of technical director, followed by the appointment of Antonio Conte as head coach. This initiative enjoys the backing of Lega Serie A and its representatives, who aligned with Malagò during the latest FIGC presidential elections.
📰 Gazzetta dello Sport: Le grand favori pour le poste de directeur technique fédéral est Paolo Maldini. Selon le projet actuellement étudié, Maldini pourrait cumuler deux fonctions : Président du Club Italia Directeur technique de la FIGC Dans ce cas, il deviendrait l’une des… pic.twitter.com/2XukpVKrji
— Nazionale News 🇮🇹 (@NazionaleNews) June 24, 2026
Maldini’s Role and Unprecedented Powers
The Italian FA is prioritising Maldini’s appointment as technical director before making a move to install Conte as manager. Should Maldini accept, he would gain unprecedented authority as head of the new ‘Club Italia’, granting him complete oversight of both technical and youth divisions within the national programme. Reports highlight that such breadth of responsibility is unparalleled for the role.
There is also growing speculation around an expanded position for Gianfranco Zola within this revised structure. As a former international and the current vice-President of Lega Pro (Serie C), Zola could see his involvement heightened should these plans materialise.
Key Meetings and Ongoing Uncertainty
All these proposals are set to be deliberated extensively during the next scheduled meeting of the federal council on Wednesday. Nonetheless, some uncertainty looms over the process. La Gazzetta dello Sport has reported that alternative strategies appear limited at present, while SportItalia has stated that Maldini remains unconvinced regarding his potential acceptance of the technical director role.
