Giovanni Malagò's Mission to Rebuild Italian Football

Giovanni Malagò has a new job and an old problem: how to fix Italy.

Elected as the new FIGC president with almost 69% of the votes, Malagò walks into office with a mandate that is both overwhelming and unforgiving. The message from Italian football is blunt. Rebuild the Azzurri. Restore belief. Set a new course.

No honeymoon. No time.

Malagò’s first big calls

At the top of his to‑do list sit two decisions that will shape the next era of the national team: the appointment of a new head coach and a new technical director. These are not just administrative roles in Italy; they are positions loaded with history, politics and expectation.

Malagò has already shown he is not afraid to move quickly. According to Gazzetta and Corriere della Sera, Paolo Maldini has been contacted about a potential role as technical director of the Azzurri. One of the most iconic captains in Italy’s history, a Champions League serial winner and a former AC Milan executive, Maldini would bring instant authority to Coverciano.

The idea alone has set the debate alight.

Maldini, the symbol

You do not need to explain Paolo Maldini to an Italian audience. His name still carries the weight of San Siro nights, of defensive perfection, of leadership without theatrics. As a director at Milan, he helped build a side that returned to the top of Serie A and re‑established itself in Europe before his departure.

Now, the prospect of Maldini stepping into a leadership role with the national team feels like a deliberate statement from Malagò: a bridge between Italy’s illustrious past and its uncertain present.

The national team needs that kind of figure. Someone players listen to the moment he walks into a room. Someone who understands both the romance and the ruthless demands of elite football.

A clear, unforgiving mission

Malagò has already defined his mission in simple terms: rebuild the national team, restore confidence, and lay the foundations for future success. It sounds straightforward. It is anything but.

Italy stands at a crossroads, again. Tournament disappointments, questions over identity, the search for a coherent project that lasts longer than a single qualifying cycle – all of it lands on the new president’s desk. The choice of head coach and technical director will reveal how bold he intends to be.

Maldini’s potential arrival would not solve everything. It would, however, send a clear signal that Italy wants strong personalities and clear ideas at the top of its football pyramid.

For a country that still measures itself by what happens in Azzurri blue, the next moves from Malagò’s office will tell us plenty about where Italian football is heading – and how quickly it dares to get there.