Malagò: Italy have 'Plan B and C' if preferred coach rejects offer, reveals coach deadline

Giovanni Malagò insists he has a ‘Plan B and C’ if Paolo Maldini declines the offer to become Italy’s technical director and reveals: ‘By the end of this week, I will take stock of everything, including the coach situation, which might involve more than just these two individuals.’

FIGC President Malagò  gave an interview to Radio Anch’io lo Sport (via  Gazzetta ),  providing updates on negotiations with Milan and Azzurri legend Maldini.

The former defender has been identified as the leading candidate to become Italy’s technical director, who will have an input in choosing the new head coach of La Nazionale.

Maldini takes time, but Malagò still confident “Maldini possesses the experience and expertise that extend beyond his playing career into his executive role, making him an ideal candidate for the technical director role, essentially the key point of contact with the president and the Federal Council,” Malagò said.

“However, it’s also necessary to have a Plan B, and perhaps even a Plan C; I am very, very, very calm. By the end of this week at the latest, I will take stock of everything, including the coach situation.”

The offer for Maldini has been on the table for a few days, and Malagò is not worried that the ex-defender has taken time before sending a final reply: “When influential figures in the football world asked me to run, I told them I was absolutely unavailable because I was quite tired after the Olympic journey and had other ideas beyond my business life,” said the FIGC President.

EMPOLI, ITALY – OCTOBER 01: Paolo Maldini of AC Milan looks on during the Serie A match between Empoli FC and AC MIlan at Stadio Carlo Castellani on October 1, 2022 in Empoli, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images) “They returned a few days later, and I hadn’t changed my mind… What I mean is that perhaps there are other commitments or prior offers, and this should actually be interpreted as a sign of seriousness, not something negative.”

Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini are reported to be the leading candidates for the coaching job, but Malagò noted: “It’s not out of the question that it might involve more than just these two individuals.”

“The only truth is that I haven’t spoken to any coach; that would deeply contradict my intention, which is to evaluate and decide with the technical director who it will be,” he added.

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) “We still need a few hours, a few days; we must be patient.”

Serie A clubs are ready to provide financial support to the FIGC to hire a new Italy coach.

“The clubs’ potential willingness to help the Federation with the coach’s wages is very important. But let’s not get bogged down in discussions about how much the coach should cost,” Malagò said.

“What’s even better, however, is Serie A’s full commitment to supporting the national team. Perhaps they’ve realised we’ve reached the bottom of the barrel. A player involved in a World Cup gains international value, creating a clear economic return for clubs too.

“The movement needs to be rebuilt, but I don’t think it’s all to be thrown away; there are important young players. In my mind, there are six years to complete with Euro 2032, an almost ideal period to develop the best possible athletes.”

During the same interview, Malagò blamed FIFA for its decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s red card for the World Cup Round of 16 against Belgium: “When you see a decision like this, the meritocracy that is the foundation of football is lost.”