After 20 years of failures, Italy gives “absolute powers” ??to Paolo Maldini to save the Azzurri
Paolo Maldini, one of the historical figures of the Italian national team, will have the complicated task of rebuilding the battered Azzurri squad
After almost 20 years of crisis in World Cups, which include the painful absence in the last three editions of the FIFA World Cup, the greatest legend of the Azzurri and AC Milan squad, Paolo Maldini, assumed full control of the Italian team with the aim of rebuilding it from its foundations.
Away from the direct environment of the boot team for years, one of the most historic defenders in world football accepted the offer to return the spotlight to one of the teams with the greatest pedigree. Italy, four-time world champion, has not celebrated a title since the Euro Cup won in 2021 against England at the legendary Wembley Stadium.
The news was made official by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) through a press release. The report established that Maldini will assume an unprecedented double role: he became the technical director of the senior team and, simultaneously, the president of Club Italia (the body that manages the national teams).
Their involvement is with a view to the medium and long term, sealing a historic contract until 2030. Absolute powers for a total refoundation
To accept the position, Maldini demanded broad powers that would give him absolute control of the sports project. This includes everything from the selection of players for the first team to the appointment of the coaching staffs of all the Azzurri's youth categories.
The objective of the top brass of Italian football is for the new strategist to be able to detect and enhance the talent that once took the country to the top of the world, emulating the impact of historical legends from different eras:
Icons of the 80s: Gaetano Scirea, Fulvio Collovati, Antonio Cabrini and Paolo Rossi.Heroes of the 90s: Aldo Serena and Walter Zenga.Champions of 2006: Gianluigi Buffon, Francesco Totti, Fabio Cannavaro and Luca Toni.The return of a historic duo: Maldini and Leonardo
Along with the former Milan captain will arrive the Brazilian Leonardo, his former teammate at San Siro and former sporting director of Paris Saint-Germain. Leonardo will assume the position of strategic advisor, reissuing the successful management formula that both led at AC Milan when they entrusted the bench to Gennaro Gattuso (who, curiously, led the Italian team until its trial in 2026).
Regarding this appointment, the president of the FIGC, Gabriele Gravina, was extremely enthusiastic: “I always thought that Paolo would be the ideal person to supervise the technical sector of the FIGC, which covers not only the senior team, but also all the youth teams.”
The Italian football leader detailed how the deal was closed quickly in recent weeks: "We completed the specific projects in two weeks. Paolo immediately told me that he would be delighted to have Leonardo as a consultant, because the work is extensive, demanding and challenging. I am happy because I have deep respect for Leonardo."
"They are two sides of the same coin; there is a long-term commitment that must take us from now until 2030, covering the next Euro Cup and the next World Cup. A new era begins in Italy," the manager concluded bluntly.