Maldini and Leonardo resign amid Pirlo crisis

Paolo Maldini, the technical director of the Italian national team, and his advisor Leonardo have decided to resign from their positions within the federation, following intense disagreements over the identity of the new coach for the Italian national team.

The new president of the Italian Football Federation, Giovanni Malagò, appointed Paolo Maldini as Technical Director on July 11, with the aim of restructuring Italian football and supporting national teams across various age categories. Leonardo has joined as an advisor for the project.

The crisis began when the federation failed to convince Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola to take over the Italian national team, before shifting their focus to Andrea Pirlo.

The Italian Football Federation has rejected the appointment of Andrea Pirlo as the national team coach after it was revealed that he holds the position of global ambassador for the Russian betting company "Fonbet." This has raised legal and ethical concerns, as promoting betting is prohibited in Italy.

According to reports, Malaga has refused to proceed with the appointment of Andrea Pirlo, despite the backing of Paolo Maldini and Leonardo for this option, leading to escalating disagreements between the parties regarding the identity of the next coach for the national team, which has resulted in significant tension within the federation.

Sky Sport Italia has confirmed that Paolo Maldini and Leonardo have made the final decision to resign, with an official announcement expected in the coming hours. This marks the end of their tenure with the Italian Football Federation just days after the launch of a project aimed at rebuilding the future of Italian football.