CT Italia: The Two-Horse Race Becomes a Four-Horse Race—With Paolo Maldini, Everything Could Change

The decision to appoint Paolo Maldini as technical director of the national team could significantly alter the outlook regarding who will be chosen to lead the Azzurri as head coach. With the former Milan captain and executive on board, in fact, it is no longer a given that the race will come down to just two candidates: Roberto Mancini and Antonio Conte remain strong contenders, but two equally prominent names have emerged—Pep Guardiola and Stefano Pioli.

The “Gazzetta dello Sport” has mentioned the former coach of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, which reports that Maldini and Leonardo (the latter having been appointed as a technical advisor to the national team) could leverage their good relationship with the Catalan coach to convince him to take the helm of the Azzurri, immediately cutting short the sabbatical he announced at the end of his tenure with the Citizens.

The ‘Corriere della Sera’, on the other hand, mentions Stefano Pioli: currently looking for a coaching job after his disappointing stint at Fiorentina, the Parma-born coach worked successfully with Maldini during his time at Milan, winning the Scudetto in 2021–2022—one year after leading the Rossoneri back to the Champions League following a seven-season absence.

Time is running out, and a decision must be made in time to organize the upcoming Nations League, whose group stage will take place between September and November. In March 2027, the Euro 2028 qualifying campaign will begin, with Italy looking to put the disappointment of watching its third World Cup from the sidelines—rather than competing in it—behind it as soon as possible.