CT Italia: Paolo Maldini’s Sensational Move If Andrea Pirlo Leaves
The uproar caused by Andrea Pirlo’s appointment as the new head coach of the Italian national team is unprecedented. The former Italian national team midfielder was chosen by technical director Paolo Maldini and advisor Leonardo after Pep Guardiola turned down the Italy job, and the decision has sparked reactions on both the sporting and political fronts.
Pirlo is under scrutiny for his career—which many consider insufficient for the role of head coach—and for serving as a global ambassador for a Russian betting company. The protests, which poured in from various politicians, have prompted FIGC President Giovanni Malagò to delay the official announcement of the new head coach.
Now, *La Gazzetta dello Sport* reports that Paolo Maldini himself would be ready to step aside if Pirlo were rejected. The former Milan executive did not expect such an uproar and has rejected any alternative candidates, whether Roberto Mancini or Antonio Conte. Maldini wants a coach to start a new era—one who can stay for years and kickstart the revival of Italian soccer after missing three World Cups.
The former Milan captain could thus choose to step back and resign immediately from his position if Pirlo is not named the next head coach. In this thorny situation, Leonardo could play an important role, acting as a mediator to find a solution should Pirlo’s appointment at Coverciano fall through.
Should the Pirlo option fall through definitively, there would be four alternatives on the table: Roberto Mancini, Antonio Conte, Stefano Pioli, and Raffaele Palladino. Mancini would allow the FIGC to save a significant amount of money and is already familiar with the Italian national team system, while Conte could help bring many people back to the national team. Pioli and Palladino, on the other hand, represent two possible outsiders: the Parma coach is currently without a team following his departure from Fiorentina, while Palladino was let go by Atalanta, which chose to replace him with Maurizio Sarri.
