Giovanni Malagò Sets One‑Week Deadline for Italy’s New Technical Director and Head Coach

FIGC president Giovanni Malagò announced that the federation will appoint a new technical director and a new head coach for the Italy national team within the next week. He indicated that former Milan captain Paolo Maldini is the leading candidate for the technical director role, saying he “has the requirements and characteristics the Italians expect.”

For the head‑coach position, Malagò highlighted Antonio Conte as the preferred choice, with clubs in Serie A prepared to contribute financially to meet his expected four‑year contract of roughly €4 million per season. The league is also discussing a possible sponsor contribution to supplement the federation’s limited budget. The rapid decisions aim to revive the national team after recent disappointments and to secure qualification for the 2030 World Cup.

These steps follow a federal council meeting where the agenda to restructure the technical staff was set, and Malagò stressed the political responsibility and public demand for a decisive appointment.