Giovanni Malagò's Mission to Revive the Azzurri
Giovanni Malagò did not wait long to leave his mark.
Elected as the new FIGC President with almost 69% of the votes, the long-time sporting powerbroker now steps into the most scrutinised job in Italian football: rebuilding the Azzurri from the ground up and convincing a sceptical country that better days are coming.
This is not a ceremonial mandate. It is a rescue mission.
Malagò’s mandate: rebuild, restore, relaunch
Malagò arrives with a clear brief: reconstruct the national team structure, restore public confidence and lay solid foundations for future success. The FIGC has rarely felt more fragile, and the margin for error is thin.
Among his first major calls, two decisions will define his early reign: the appointment of a new head coach and the choice of a technical director capable of reshaping the sporting project, from the senior side down to the youth ranks.
The names linked to the bench will come and go in the coming weeks. The role behind the scenes, though, already has a frontrunner who needs no introduction in Italy.
Maldini in the frame
According to Gazzetta and Corriere della Sera, Paolo Maldini has already been contacted regarding a potential appointment as technical director of the national team. The conversation is at the exploratory stage, but the signal is strong: Malagò wants a figure with unquestioned authority, modern ideas and international credibility.
Few embody that profile like Maldini.
The former AC Milan captain, a symbol of elegance and competitive steel, has already shown he can operate at boardroom level. His spell as a club executive at Milan produced a clear footballing identity, a renewed focus on young talent and a return to the top of Serie A. His presence alone changes the temperature of a room, or in this case, a federation.
Images of Maldini in Empoli, watching on from the sidelines during a Serie A clash at the Stadio Carlo Castellani in October 2022, feel different in this new light. Back then, he was the architect of Milan’s project. Now, he could be asked to help redraw the blueprint for the entire national setup.
A president used to big stages
Malagò, for his part, is no stranger to major institutional challenges. As President of the Organising Committee for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, he has spent years navigating politics, logistics and pressure on a global scale.
His appearance in Cortina d’Ampezzo in March 2026, speaking at the inauguration of a mural ahead of the Winter Paralympic Games, underlined his role as a figurehead for Italian sport beyond football. Now that experience is being channelled into Coverciano and the FIGC headquarters.
The task is different, but the stakes feel just as high. The national team remains the emotional core of Italian sport. When it falters, the entire system feels it.
A new axis for the Azzurri?
Malagò at the helm and Maldini as technical director would form a powerful axis: one a seasoned institutional operator, the other a football man whose name still carries weight in every dressing room and boardroom in Europe.
For now, it is a scenario rather than a certainty. But the fact that contact has already been made shows how quickly Malagò intends to move, and how ambitious his vision is for the Azzurri’s rebirth.
Italy has often looked to its past for inspiration in moments of crisis. This time, the past comes in the form of a legendary defender and a new president who knows the spotlight of a global event.
If they join forces, the next chapter of the national team will not lack for authority. The real question is whether that will be enough to turn a troubled present into a winning future.
