Paolo Maldini reveals power struggle behind Italy resignation

Paolo Maldini says a change in the agreement over his authority led to his resignation as technical director of the Italian Football Federation, after he concluded that the trust needed to continue was no longer there.

Speaking in an extended interview with Corriere della Sera, Maldini said he had been expected to sign a four-year contract beginning on 1 August, but chose not to proceed after the terms of the role were altered.

“The agreements were reviewed, and the only thing I could do was resign, or rather, refuse to sign a four-year contract that was supposed to begin on 1 August. The conditions for trust were no longer there,” said Maldini.

The former Milan defender was speaking publicly for the first time about his brief involvement with the Italy national team and the circumstances surrounding his departure. He described how he was approached for the role before resigning only a few days after being appointed.

Maldini said Malago contacted him at Easter and that he had been willing to offer his help. His plans, he explained, extended beyond trying to revive the national team and were intended to contribute to a wider reconstruction of Italian football.

“Malago called me at Easter, and I told him I was willing to help. It was not only about relaunching the Italy national team; we had to rebuild Italian football,” Maldini said.

“We created the role of technical director, a position that had not existed before within our organisation. Leonardo also has great organisational ability. But afterwards the agreements were reviewed, and the only thing that could be done was to resign, or rather, refuse to sign the four-year contract that was supposed to begin on 1 August.”

Maldini said one of the central points of the original arrangement concerned who would choose Italy’s next manager. He recalled asking Malago directly about the decision-making process.

“At the beginning I asked him: who chooses the manager? He answered me: ‘You choose him and I approve him.’ That was the agreement,” said Maldini.

He also outlined the project he had presented to the Italian league, saying it was based on two separate but connected priorities. Rebuilding the national team, he argued, required patience, while the wider health of Italian football demanded a change in mentality.

“At the league, I explained that our project was based on two different paths. Rebuilding Italian football requires time, and it also requires a new mentality,” he said.

The dispute became more apparent when Andrea Pirlo was discussed as a possible managerial appointment. Maldini said Malago then informed him and Leonardo that the authority over the choice had changed.

“Malago called me and Leonardo to tell us: in my opinion, Pirlo cannot be appointed. From now on, I will be the one who decides the manager, and you will approve him,” Maldini said.

He rejected that revised division of responsibility, arguing that it was incompatible with the duties he had been given.

“If I have a role 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’s headquarters, but the system had stopped,” he said.

Maldini also expressed concern about the federation’s current priorities. He said the presence of a figure such as Claudio Ranieri could benefit the organisation, but warned that the Italy national team might receive too much attention compared with the longer-term task of rebuilding Italian football.

“Having someone like Ranieri is an addition, but I fear that too much importance will be given to the Italy national team, while rebuilding Italian football will be considered far less important,” he said.

Maldini concluded by saying that the experience remained personally painful, despite the ambition he had attached to it.

“There is something that will continue to hurt me inside. I had taken on a difficult task, but it became a dream: doing something for future generations. It is truly regrettable,” he said.