Maldini Supports Pirlo for Italy Coaching Job

Paolo Maldini has made his choice. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italy technical director has identified Andrea Pirlo as his ideal candidate to take over the Azzurri, and FIGC president Giovanni Malagò is now preparing to sit down with the former midfield maestro.

Maldini, working closely with his advisor Leonardo, has placed Pirlo at the top of the shortlist for the national team bench. For him, the ex-Milan and Juventus regista is not just an option. He is the preferred solution.

The path is not entirely clear yet. Malagò must sign off on the appointment, and Gazzetta reports that a meeting between the FIGC president and Pirlo is expected shortly, potentially as early as today. The discussion will centre on Pirlo’s ideas, his vision of how Italy should play, and how he intends to manage a squad still searching for a new identity.

Pirlo’s coaching career has already taken him through some demanding posts. He has sat on the benches of Juventus and Sampdoria and is currently in charge of United FC in the UAE Pro League. Now, his name has surged to the front of the queue for one of the most pressured roles in world football.

For months, speculation swirled around Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini, two men with deep roots in the Azzurri’s recent history. Both remain in the frame, Gazzetta stresses, and Mancini in particular enjoys strong backing from Malagò. The FIGC president values his profile and past work with the national side.

Yet the technical call, the pure football decision, lies with Maldini. He has thrown his weight behind Pirlo, convinced that the 2006 World Cup winner can translate his playing vision to the touchline at the highest international level.

Before Malagò gives any final green light, he wants to look Pirlo in the eye and hear directly how he plans to shape Italy’s future. That conversation, more than any rumour or preference, will decide whether the Azzurri are about to enter the Pirlo era.