Maldini, Leonardo resign from FIGC roles amid Italy’s World Cup crisis

By Adegboyega Adeleye

Paolo Maldini and Leonardo have resigned from their roles with the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), according to Sky Sport Italia, in another major setback for Italy as the four-time world champions grapple with a deepening football crisis after missing the World Cup for a third consecutive time.

The dramatic development comes only days after the former AC Milan figures agreed to spearhead a major overhaul of Italian football, with Maldini appointed technical director and Leonardo brought in as his adviser.

The FIGC had officially announced the appointments earlier this month as part of its plans to rebuild the national team and oversee its path towards the 2030 World Cup.

Maldini’s resignation comes just 16 days after his appointment, with the former Italy captain expected to play a central role in finding a new head coach following Gennaro Gattuso’s departure.

Italy’s latest crisis has been compounded by the country’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, extending its absence from football’s biggest tournament to three successive editions. The Azzurri also missed the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, despite winning the European Championship in 2021.

The latest turmoil follows a chaotic search for Gattuso’s successor. Italy reportedly sounded out Carlo Ancelotti before approaching Pep Guardiola, but both options failed to materialise. Guardiola turned down the role, while Ancelotti remains Brazil’s coach.

Andrea Pirlo subsequently emerged as a leading candidate for the job after Guardiola’s rejection, but his potential appointment triggered controversy over his commercial relationship with Russian betting company Fonbet.

Pirlo, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, had faced criticism from political figures and members of the Italian football establishment over his role as a global ambassador for the betting company and his appearance at a Fonbet event in Moscow.

The former midfielder eventually withdrew from consideration for the Italy job, insisting that his relationship with Fonbet was strictly commercial and had no political significance.

The coaching uncertainty has now been followed by the reported departures of Maldini and Leonardo, further complicating Italy’s attempt to rebuild after one of the darkest periods in its football history.

The FIGC had appointed Maldini with the long-term objective of overseeing the technical structure of the national teams, including the senior side’s preparations for the 2030 World Cup. His partnership with Leonardo was expected to form a key part of the federation’s reform programme.

Italy’s latest failure to qualify for the World Cup had already triggered major institutional changes. FIGC president Gabriele Gravina resigned in the aftermath of the 2026 qualification failure, while the federation began searching for a new direction following another unsuccessful World Cup campaign.

Now, with Maldini and Leonardo reportedly stepping away only weeks into the rebuilding project, Italian football faces fresh uncertainty over who will lead the national team’s recovery and deliver a return to the World Cup in 2030.

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