Italy in shambles again! Paolo Maldini and Leonardo resign from FIGC roles after just two weeks over Andrea Pirlo rejection

Maldini and Leonardo have decided to resign from their roles with the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), as reported by Sky Sport Italia. The move comes just days after both figures had agreed to take on their positions as part of a major overhaul of the national team's management structure.

Maldini was appointed technical director of the FIGC on July 11, tasked with helping rebuild the national side following its failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. Among his first responsibilities was identifying a successor to Gennaro Gattuso, whose departure had left the head coach position vacant. However, Maldini stepped down just 16 days into the role, alongside Leonardo, the former Brazil international who had been brought in to serve as his adviser.

The decision to resign came shortly after former Italy international Pirlo announced he was no longer a candidate for the national team job, following fierce opposition over his commercial ties to a Russian betting company. His prospective appointment had become increasingly untenable in the days leading up to his withdrawal, with the controversy generating significant backlash across Italian football and media circles.

Pirlo had been Maldini's primary choice to take charge after Pep Guardiola had already turned down the federation's initial approach. That left Maldini with few obvious alternatives lined up, and it now appears the collapse of the Pirlo appointment was enough to prompt both men to walk away from their newly created roles entirely.

The double departure creates an immediate crisis for newly appointed FIGC president Giovanni Malago, leaving the federation without a clear national team strategy at what is widely regarded as its lowest point in nearly 40 years. Malago now faces the unenviable task of steadying the ship, having only recently taken up his own position at the head of Italian football's governing body.

The turmoil follows a difficult period for Italian football more broadly, coming on the back of early European exits for Italian clubs last season and a third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup. The resignations only compound a sense of instability that has gripped the federation in recent months, with question marks now hanging over the entire process of rebuilding the national team from the top down.

With Maldini and Leonardo no longer in place to lead the search, several high-profile managers are now being linked with the vacant head coach position, including Roberto Mancini, Antonio Conte and Thiago Motta. Each carries their own track record at the highest level of Italian and European football, though none has yet been directly linked to concrete talks with the federation.

Click here to read article