Pirlo Selected as Maldini's Choice for Italy National Team

Andrea Pirlo, the man who once dictated Italy’s tempo from midfield, is now at the centre of plans to take charge of the Azzurri from the touchline.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Italy technical director Paolo Maldini has identified Pirlo as his preferred candidate for the national team job. Working closely with his advisor Leonardo, Maldini has moved the former Milan and Juventus playmaker to the top of the shortlist after months of noise around more experienced names.

The next step is political as much as technical. FIGC President Giovanni Malagò must sign off on the appointment, and Gazzetta reports that he is expected to meet Pirlo shortly, potentially as early as today, to hear first-hand the coach’s ideas and long-term vision for the side.

Pirlo, currently in charge of United FC in the UAE Pro League, has already had a taste of top-level management with Juventus and Sampdoria. That résumé, combined with his stature in Italian football and Maldini’s backing, has pushed him ahead of Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini in the race.

Conte and Mancini, long linked with a return to Coverciano, have not been completely discarded. Gazzetta stresses that both remain in contention, with Mancini in particular held in high regard by Malagò. The political weight is clear, but the technical call belongs to Maldini, and he has nailed his colours to Pirlo.

Before Malagò gives any final green light, he wants his own conversation with the 2006 World Cup winner. Only after that meeting, and only after hearing Pirlo outline how he would reshape the Azzurri, will Italy’s powerbrokers decide whether to entrust the national team to one of its most elegant former conductors.