Maldini reveals reason for his departure from the Italian federation: the agreement changed

Paolo Maldini, the former technical director of the Italian Football Federation, has revealed that a scaling back of the agreements over his powers drove him to resign, insisting the trust needed to keep working was no longer there.

During a lengthy interview with Corriere della Sera, Maldini spelled out his reasons for walking away from the role: "The agreements were revised, and the only thing I could do was resign, or rather refrain from signing a four-year contract that was supposed to begin on the first of August. There were no longer any conditions for trust."

It marked the first time he had spoken publicly about his exit. The former technical director walked through the details of his appointment and his resignation just days later.

"Malago called me at Easter, and I expressed my readiness to help," Maldini added. "It was not just about relaunching the Italy national team, we had to rebuild Italian football. We created the position of technical director, a role that had not previously existed with us. Leonardo also has great organisational ability. But then the agreements were revised, and the only thing that could be done was to resign, or rather refrain from signing the four-year contract that was supposed to begin on the first of August."

He tackled the question of who would pick the next Italy head coach head on: "At the start I asked him (Malago): who chooses the head coach? He replied: you choose him and I approve. That was the agreement."

Two tracks underpinned the plan, he explained. "At the league association, I explained our project, which was based on two different tracks. Rebuilding Italian football needs time, and it also needs a new mentality."

The fault lines opened over the idea of appointing Andrea Pirlo. "Malago called me and Leonardo to tell us: in my opinion Pirlo cannot be signed," Maldini said. "And from today I will be the one who decides the coach, and you approve."

That shift in powers was a line Maldini would not cross. "If I have a mission and a responsibility, this is unacceptable. There were no longer any conditions for trust to carry out a huge job. We were present at Coverciano (the federation's headquarters), but the system was at a standstill."

Turning to the state of play inside the federation, Maldini offered a warning. "The presence of a figure like Ranieri is an addition, but I fear that the Italy national team will be given great importance, while rebuilding Italian football is given far less importance."

His parting words carried real regret. "I have something that will keep hurting me on the inside. I had taken on an arduous task, but it had turned into a dream, which was to do something for future generations. It is truly a shame."

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