Maldini lasted 16 days at Italy's federation — and now the Azzurri chaos may have a name: Mancini
Maldini and Leonardo left the Italian federation after Pirlo's candidacy collapsed over gambling ties. Mancini leads the race to take charge of the Azzurri.
Sixteen days. That was all it took for Paolo Maldini to realise that rebuilding Italy would be far more complicated than it looked.
The legendary former defender had been announced as technical director of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on 11 July, tasked with dragging the Azzurri out of the hole — a nation that has now missed three consecutive World Cups. But Maldini's departure, confirmed by Sky in Italy, laid bare just how deep the crisis runs.
The trigger was the decision not to appoint Andrea Pirlo as head coach. The reason? Concerns over Pirlo's ties to a Russian gambling company, according to Sky. Pirlo had been Maldini's pick — and Leonardo's too, the former Brazilian player who had been brought in as the technical director's advisor. When Pirlo's candidacy fell through, both men went with it.
Now FIGC president Giovanni Malagò is leading the search for a new coach. And the name at the front of the queue is Roberto Mancini — the very man who led Italy to the Euro 2020 title against England after more than five years in charge, before stepping down in August 2023. Mancini left Al Sadd of Qatar in June and is available.
Antonio Conte has also emerged as a possibility, but Sky reports there has been no direct contact with him. Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, has already turned down the approach.
Italy heads into the 2026 World Cup without a coach, without a technical director, and without a clear identity. For a side that has already missed three straight qualifications, the clock is not stopping — and every day without an answer is one more step in the wrong direction.