Paolo Maldini says a change to the agreement over his responsibilities at the Italian Football Federation left him with no option but to resign, arguing that the trust needed to continue the project was no longer there.
The former technical director of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) discussed his departure from the organisation for the first time in an extended interview with Corriere della Sera. Maldini said he chose not to sign a four-year contract that was due to begin on 1 August after the terms governing his role were revised.
“ The agreements were reviewed, and the only thing I could do was resign, or rather, refrain from signing a four-year contract that was supposed to begin on 1 August. The conditions for trust were no longer there,” Maldini said.
Maldini had initially been approached to help Italy rebuild following a period of difficulty for the national team. He said the project went beyond attempting to revive the senior side and was intended to address wider issues in Italian football.
He recalled receiving a call from Giovanni Malago at Easter and telling him he was ready to help.
“It was not only about relaunching the Italian national team; we had to rebuild Italian football. We created the position of technical director, a role that had not previously existed with us. Leonardo also has a great organisational ability,” Maldini said.
However, he said the understanding over who would appoint the next Italy manager subsequently changed. Maldini explained that he had specifically asked Malago who would make that decision.
“At the beginning I asked him: who chooses the manager? He replied: you choose him and I approve him. That was the agreement,” Maldini said.
He added that the project had been presented to the Italian league as having two separate strands. One involved the immediate work of the national team, while the other focused on the longer-term reconstruction of the country’s football system.
“At the league, I explained our project, which was based on two different paths. Rebuilding Italian football requires time, and it also requires a new mentality,” he said.
The disagreement became clear when the possibility of appointing Andrea Pirlo was raised, according to Maldini. He said Malago then contacted both him and Leonardo to give them a different instruction.
“Malago called me and Leonardo to tell us: in my opinion, Pirlo cannot be appointed. From today, I will be the one who decides the manager, and you approve,” Maldini said.
Maldini rejected the change, saying it was incompatible with holding responsibility for the role.
“If I have a task and responsibility, that is unacceptable. The conditions for trust to carry out a huge job were no longer there. We were present at Coverciano, the federation headquarters, but the system had stopped,” he said.
Looking at the FIGC’s current direction, Maldini said the presence of Claudio Ranieri was a positive development. But he warned that too much attention could be placed on the national team at the expense of the broader work needed to rebuild Italian football.
“Having a figure like Ranieri is an addition, but I fear that Italy will be given too much importance, while rebuilding Italian football will be considered far less important,” Maldini said.
He concluded by reflecting on the personal significance of the project he had been asked to lead.
“There is something that will continue to hurt me inside. I had taken on a difficult task, but it had turned into a dream: doing something for future generations. It is truly a pity,” he said.
