Italian football in chaos as Maldini and Leonardo quit over Pirlo snub

Mancini and Conte re-emerge as favourites for the vacant head coach's job, with Chiellini tipped to take over as technical director, after a bruising day of rows involving FIGC president Malagò and sports minister Abodi. Italian football was thrown into fresh disarray on Monday evening after Paolo Maldini and Leonardo resigned from their newly created roles at the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), just days after taking charge of a project to rebuild the national side. The pair, appointed as technical director and sporting advisor respectively, quit after FIGC president Giovanni Malagò ruled out Andrea Pirlo as head coach over the former Juventus and Italy midfielder's commercial ties to Russian betting firm Fonbet, for whom he has served as a global brand ambassador. The row was fuelled by a reported recent trip Pirlo made to Moscow, and by the fact that gambling advertising is illegal in Italy. Malagò decided that Pirlo could no longer be considered, not for footballing reasons but on grounds of propriety, given the reputational fallout. Pirlo defended his conduct as lawful and purely commercial, expressing bitterness at being dragged into a political row, and thanked Maldini and Leonardo for their trust - pointedly omitting any mention of Malagò. Maldini and Leonardo walk out Maldini and Leonardo were reportedly furious, viewing the decision as an attack on the autonomy of the project they had been tasked with building. According to Italian news agency ANSA, federation officials spent Monday scrambling to find a compromise candidate, floating the name of Thiago Motta - the former Inter and Italy midfielder, and a coach Leonardo had previously brought into Paris Saint-Germain's youth set-up. That option failed to convince Maldini too, and the resignations were delivered by phone to Malagò while he was in a meeting with federation representatives ahead of Tuesday's federal council session. Giancarlo Abete, head of the amateur football league and Malagò's defeated rival in June's federation elections, said he learned of the departures from the media and admitted the federation was "not used to" such upheaval, adding that it was now back to square one. Serie A president Ezio Simonelli said he was sorry, though not surprised, by Maldini's exit. Race for the top job resumes With the national team still without a head coach, attention has swung back to former Italy boss Roberto Mancini, who is understood to be Malagò's preferred option, and Antonio Conte, seen as the leading alternative. League sources cautioned, however, that Mancini's name does not appeal to Serie A clubs. To replace Maldini as technical director, Giorgio Chiellini has emerged as the leading candidate, according to Italian media reports. Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola had both been considered before Pirlo became the frontrunner. Malagò and Abodi clash The chaos also spilled into a public spat between Malagò and sports minister Andrea Abodi. Abodi described the outcome of the Pirlo saga as an embarrassment that Italian football now needed to put right. Malagò hit back, suggesting it was worth asking who was really responsible for any embarrassment, given how often politics produces plenty of its own. Abodi retorted that Malagò had evidently taken the remark personally. Adding a further twist, Russia's ambassador to Italy, Alexey Paramonov, voiced what he called sincere and human solidarity with Pirlo - a remark that drew a sharp reaction from some Italian politicians, who said it underlined why Pirlo's Russian sponsorship had been a legitimate concern, while others accused the federation of double standards and "Russophobia." What's next? Malagò is expected to set out a definitive strategy at Tuesday's federal council meeting, as pressure mounts on the FIGC to resolve the impasse before Italy's next fixtures. Photo credit: sbonsi / Shutterstock.com

WIRE — Mancini and Conte re-emerge as favourites for the vacant head coach's job, with Chiellini tipped to take over as technical director, after a bruising day of rows involving FIGC president Malagò and sports minister Abodi. Italian football was thrown into fresh disarray on Monday evening after Paolo Maldini and Leonardo resigned from their newly created roles at the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), just days after taking charge of a project to rebuild the national side. The pair, appointed as technical director and sporting advisor respectively, quit after FIGC president Giovanni Malagò ruled out Andrea Pirlo as head coach over the former Juventus and Italy midfielder's commercial ties to Russian betting firm Fonbet, for whom he has served as a global brand ambassador. The row was fuelled by a reported recent trip Pirlo made to Moscow, and by the fact that gambling advertising is illegal in Italy. Malagò decided that Pirlo could no longer be considered, not for footballing reasons but on grounds of propriety, given the reputational fallout. Pirlo defended his conduct as lawful and purely commercial, expressing bitterness at being dragged into a political row, and thanked Maldini and Leonardo for their trust - pointedly omitting any mention of Malagò. Maldini and Leonardo walk out Maldini and Leonardo were reportedly furious, viewing the decision as an attack on the autonomy of the project they had been tasked with building. According to Italian news agency ANSA, federation officials spent Monday scrambling to find a compromise candidate, floating the name of Thiago Motta - the former Inter and Italy midfielder, and a coach Leonardo had previously brought into Paris Saint-Germain's youth set-up. That option failed to convince Maldini too, and the resignations were delivered by phone to Malagò while he was in a meeting with federation representatives ahead of Tuesday's federal council session. Giancarlo Abete, head of the amateur football league and Malagò's defeated rival in June's federation elections, said he learned of the departures from the media and admitted the federation was "not used to" such upheaval, adding that it was now back to square one. Serie A president Ezio Simonelli said he was sorry, though not surprised, by Maldini's exit. Race for the top job resumes With the national team still without a head coach, attention has swung back to former Italy boss Roberto Mancini, who is understood to be Malagò's preferred option, and Antonio Conte, seen as the leading alternative. League sources cautioned, however, that Mancini's name does not appeal to Serie A clubs. To replace Maldini as technical director, Giorgio Chiellini has emerged as the leading candidate, according to Italian media reports. Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola had both been considered before Pirlo became the frontrunner. Malagò and Abodi clash The chaos also spilled into a public spat between Malagò and sports minister Andrea Abodi. Abodi described the outcome of the Pirlo saga as an embarrassment that Italian football now needed to put right. Malagò hit back, suggesting it was worth asking who was really responsible for any embarrassment, given how often politics produces plenty of its own. Abodi retorted that Malagò had evidently taken the remark personally. Adding a further twist, Russia's ambassador to Italy, Alexey Paramonov, voiced what he called sincere and human solidarity with Pirlo - a remark that drew a sharp reaction from some Italian politicians, who said it underlined why Pirlo's Russian sponsorship had been a legitimate concern, while others accused the federation of double standards and "Russophobia." What's next? Malagò is expected to set out a definitive strategy at Tuesday's federal council meeting, as pressure mounts on the FIGC to resolve the impasse before Italy's next fixtures. Photo credit: sbonsi / Shutterstock.com

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