Malagò: 'Italy have Plan A, B and C' for new coach and director
Quick summary
FIGC president Giovanni Malagò says the Italian Football Federation has multiple contingency plans in place for appointing a new Italy national team head coach and sporting director.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceFIGC President Giovanni Malagò insists he has ‘a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C’ for both the roles of new Italy coach and technical director. ‘I wouldn’t get too fossilized on certain names.’
The election put him in charge of the Italian Football Federation, and it would usually also be his decision to hire a new coach.
However, Malagò has decided to appoint a brand new role of technical director for Club Italia, who can then in turn prove crucial for the choice of CT.
The first pick for that role is Paolo Maldini , while the coach is rumoured to be between Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini.
Malagò keeping open mind for Italy roles CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ITALY – MARCH 05: Giovanni Malago, President of the Organising Committee for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, speaks during the Paralympic Games Opening Press Conference ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games at on March 05, 2026 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images) “I wouldn’t get too fossilized on certain names,” warned the President when asked if Maldini and Conte would be compatible together.
“There aren’t just a couple of candidates. In life, when time is tight and there are big problems to deal with, and above all deadlines looming, you need a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C too.”
Having said that, Malagò reiterated that he expects to announce both the new technical director and coach of the Italy national team by the end of next week.
This isn’t the only problem that the FIGC is dealing with, as by July 31 Italy must also present the final list of five stadiums to co-host the EURO 2032 tournament with Turkiye.
“It is an opportunity for our country as a whole and it is positive to have deadlines, because big events force you to move quickly.”
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What happened
FIGC president Giovanni Malagò has confirmed that the federation is actively preparing for leadership changes within the Italy national team setup, with plans for both a new head coach and a new sporting director. Malagò stated the federation has 'Plan A, B and C' options in place, signaling a structured approach to the transition. The comments come amid ongoing speculation about the future of the current coaching staff. No specific candidates were named in this particular statement, but the messaging suggests the federation is not short on options.
Chance analysis
This story is about succession planning at the highest level of Italian football governance. With the Italy national team in need of both a new head coach and sporting director, having multiple vetted plans reduces uncertainty and signals organizational competence. For prediction systems, this affects the competitive outlook of Italy in upcoming international fixtures and qualifiers, as the identity of the next coach will shape tactical approach and squad selection.
Italy's national team structure is in transition with multiple coaching/director options being evaluated, creating short-term uncertainty around team identity and selection.
Italy's coaching situation is unresolved, which adds uncertainty to their upcoming international match predictions until a new appointment is confirmed.