Soccer news: Paolo Maldini to lead revamp of Italian national team set-up alongside Leonardo

Paolo Maldini has officially been appointed as the new technical director of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and will be joined by former AC Milan team-mate Leonardo as special advisor.

Maldini is set to revolutionise the Italian national team and significantly enhance – if not outright rebuild – its operations, working to prevent the unimaginable scenario of missing a fourth consecutive FIFA World Cup.

Here, Sports News Blitz writer Luca Salmasi takes a closer look at Maldini’s appointment and what it means for the FIGC and national set-up moving forward.

Proven experience at AC Milan

In addition to being a successful part of the Maldini family heritage at AC Milan as a player, Maldini achieved great success as the technical and sporting director from 2018 to 2023.

He completely revamped the squad, bringing in key players like Rafael Leão, Theo Hernández, and Mike Maignan, who became core members of the team that secured Milan’s 19th Scudetto in 2022 and reached the Champions League semi-finals the following year.

He was also recognised for discovering exceptional defensive talent, leading to the smart, cost-effective signings of Fikayo Tomori and Pierre Kalulu.

During this rebuilding phase, the combination of experience and youth – featuring players like Olivier Giroud and Zlatan Ibrahimović – transformed the club from a struggling team into a serious European contender.

Most importantly, Maldini reintegrated a winning mentality into Milan, something that had been lacking since his departure as a player.

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Search for new head coach

Maldini’s new role is a four-year project and with unprecedented powers, he is expected to make widespread changes to the way the national team and youth set-ups operate.

The first job on his agenda is the appointment of a new head coach after Genaro Gattuso’s dismal spell, which saw Italy embarrassingly lose to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties and miss out on a third consecutive World Cup.

The current front-runners for the job are the familiar faces of Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini.

Both have held the role previously and boast vast levels of experience, but there are concerns – with Conte’s tactical fit and Mancini’s previous decision to join Saudi Arabia.

However, given Maldini’s presence, former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is possibly a realistic consideration too.

The main challenge there would be Guardiola’s high salary, estimated at €25 million in his last season at City.

While Serie A clubs are expected to contribute financially, they are unlikely to help match Guardiola’s previous salary.

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A unified vision for Italy

Italy’s youth teams have enjoyed recent success, including winning the UEFA Under-16 European Championship against Belgium, but a noticeable gap remains between the youth system and the senior national team.

Maldini, drawing on his experience at Milan, will seek to create a unified footballing identity across all age groups, from the under-15s to the seniors.

This strategy reflects models such as Spain’s, which promotes player development within a consistent tactical framework.

A major change involves how youth coaches are evaluated, with greater emphasis on player development and readiness for senior international play rather than on tournament results alone.

Elsewhere, Maldini is modernising coaching education within the FIGC, emphasising proactive, possession-based tactics over traditional defensive methods.

He is likewise revamping the scouting network to identify undervalued domestic talent, using his proven recruitment methods at Milan.

And lastly, Maldini aims to improve the transition from youth to senior football by aligning tactical principles across age groups and closing the developmental gap between the under-21s and the national team.

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