Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Giovanni Malagò has revealed that Paolo Maldini was his primary target for the position of national team head coach. The announcement came during an interview with Dazn, which will be released in full on the app this evening.
Malagò emphasized a shift in the decision-making process, stating that this is the first time a federation president has removed themselves from directly appointing the Club Italia president and will instead seek a collaborative approach. He clarified that no contact was made with potential coaches before discussions with Maldini and Leonardo, asserting that doing so would have undermined the foundation of their working relationship.
Beyond the coaching search, Malagò addressed broader concerns within Italian football, highlighting a significant decline in participation among those aged 18-35. He attributed this to both demographic shifts and a growing preference for other sports among young people. Despite this, overall participation numbers have remained stable, boosted by the growth of futsal, women's football, and beach soccer. Malagò stressed the importance of recreating appeal and inspiring the next generation, drawing parallels to the impact of Jannik Sinner’s success in tennis and the potential boost from the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
Malagò also discussed the progress of women’s football in Italy, praising the increasing professionalism of Serie A and the competitiveness of the national team. He acknowledged a gap in infrastructure compared to nations like the United States, Norway, and Canada, where women’s football is integrated into school and university sports programs. He believes expanding the base of participation is crucial for continued growth. Regarding innovation in football, Malagò expressed openness to changes that enhance spectacle, while cautioning against alterations that compromise the sport’s core principles, citing volleyball’s successful implementation of the rally point system as a positive example.
The appointment of Maldini, a legendary figure in Italian football, would signal a new era for the national team, potentially revitalizing a program that has faced challenges in recent years. This collaborative approach to selecting both the national team coach and technical director suggests a desire for greater transparency and shared responsibility within the FIGC.
