Italy legend Paolo Maldini appointed technical director of national team

[p]"Maldini has always been my target," said newly appointed FIGC president Giovanni Malago.[/p][p]"[b]I felt he was the right person to oversee the FIGC's technical sector -- a role that encompasses not just the senior national team, but the entire youth national team setup[/b].[/p][p]"[b]We are embarking on a four-year commitment designed to take us from now through the next World Cup in 2030, with the European Championship along the way[/b]."[/p][p]The 58-year-old Maldini will work alongside Leonardo, the former sporting director of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]Paris Saint-Germain[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ac-milan/8Sa8HInO/"]AC Milan[/a], who will be his advisor, the FIGC added.[/p][p]Maldini will also assume the role of president of Club Italia, the body overseeing all national teams across all age groups, both men's and women's.[/p][p]This is an unprecedented dual role in the FIGC, giving Maldini ultimate authority over all sporting decisions.[/p][embed guid="a3ac799d-e2a5-482d-b4f3-92a5f84d1b31" url="https://x.com/Azzurri/status/2076020304460059035" social-type="twitter" /][p]His primary mission will be to revitalise the Azzurri, who have lost their place among the global elite after missing out on the last three World Cup tournaments despite a European triumph in 2021.[/p][p]Maldini and Malago, who was elected FIGC chief in late June having previously headed the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, must quickly find a new coach.[/p][p]Maldini's former AC Milan teammate Gennaro Gattuso resigned as head coach after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/italy/hlKvieGH/"]Italy[/a] lost to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bosnia-herzegovina/fqe7WYTr/"]Bosnia-Herzegovina[/a] on penalties in a European play-off for the 2026 World Cup in late March.[/p][p]Former Italian international Antonio Conte has been touted as a possible successor, having held the role between 2014 and 2016. Conte left Napoli after two seasons last month.[/p][p]Maldini spent his entire playing career with AC Milan, winning seven Italian league titles and five Champions League trophies.[/p][p]Capped 126 times for Italy, he played in four World Cups and three European Championships, with his best results being runner-up finishes in the 1994 World Cup and Euro 2000.[/p][p]After retiring as a player, he succeeded Brazilian Leonardo as AC Milan's sporting director in 2019, holding the position until 2023.[/p]