Pirlo in possession! Is Maldini quitting again after two weeks?

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Only two weeks after taking up the post, Paolo Maldini is already facing an abrupt exit again, according to a report by Gazzetta dello Sport, because the federation are blocking the installation of his preferred coach Andrea Pirlo.

Andrea Pirlo's appointment as the new Italy head coach is on the brink of collapsing for good, and that is already bringing serious consequences for the federation leadership. As Gazzetta report, technical director Paolo Maldini, who only took the job around two weeks ago, is already considering resigning because of the ongoing resistance to his preferred choice.

Maldini had reportedly received assurances from newly elected federation president Giovanni Malago that he would be able to make the call on the new head coach entirely on his own. That autonomy had been seen from the outset as the key condition for the former professional to take up the role at the FIGC in the first place.

Now the federation are putting obstacles in the way of the technical director and his adviser Leonardo, and that could prove the final straw. Maldini already showed when he left AC Milan in 2023 that he makes no compromises when his freedom to act is restricted and would rather walk away immediately than accept a forced collaboration.