Tevez backs Conte–Maldini Italy project, criticizes Allegri, Spalletti and Scaloni
Quick summary
Former Argentina striker Carlos Tevez publicly endorsed a project pairing Antonio Conte as Italy head coach with Paolo Maldini in a sporting director role, while criticizing Massimiliano Allegri, Luciano Spalletti and Lionel Scaloni.
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Attributed to original sourceFormer Juventus star Carlos Tevez insists the Italy project should resume with Antonio Conte and Paolo Maldini, but admits he doesn’t like Luciano Spalletti, while Max Allegri is as defensive as Lionel Scaloni.
Former Juventus and Argentina star Tevez spoke to Italian media, including Repubblica , after Argentina’s struggle-filled win over Cape Verde.
Tevez was critical of his national team’s performance, but praised Lionel Messi, yet the rest of the interview focused on Juventus and the Italy national team.
Tevez: Italy shold hire Conte and Maldini
“It’s incredible that Italy is not here. Have you chosen a new coach yet?” the former striker asked.
New FIGC President Giovanni Malagò is still working to hire both a new head coach and a technical director.
Milan legend Maldini is said to be the leading candidate for the director role, while Conte and Mancini are the main contenders for the coaching job.
“I saw that Italy could take Maldini as technical director,” Tevez said.
“In that role, he’s the best, just look at what he did at Milan. I met him in person, and he is really sharp. If you managed the Conte-Maldini pairing, you’d be set.”
As for the next Azzurri boss, Tevez showed no doubts: “What a question: Antonio Conte for life. Only he can get you out of this situation. He would already do well in his first year; he has always done that. Then you have to see how the second and third go, but you must back him without doubts. He was the best coach I’ve ever had.”
Tevez spent two seasons at Juventus playing under Conte in 2013-14 and Allegri in 2014-15.
“He [Allegri] is also very good,” continued the ex-striker.
“I got along well with him, but it’s true, I sometimes accused him of being too defensive. Like Scaloni, right?
“Put Conte in charge of the national team, and he will know how to get something out of them,” he continued.
Independiente coach Carlos Tevez gestures during the Argentine Professional Football League match between River Plate and Independiente at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, on October 25, 2023. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP) (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images) “Then you have to build good players yourself.”
Lastly, the former Argentine star spoke about his ex-club Juventus, revealing that he is not an admirer of Spalletti.
“They didn’t qualify for the Champions League, what a disaster! They’ll have to rebuild again,” he said.
“Spalletti doesn’t have blood. Conte has blood, and I like people who have blood.”
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What happened
Carlos Tevez weighed in on Italian football's coaching landscape, expressing support for a FIGC project that would bring Antonio Conte back as Italy national team head coach alongside Paolo Maldini in a managerial capacity. Tevez was critical of Massimiliano Allegri's tactical rigidity and Luciano Spalletti's recent work, and also took a swipe at Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, questioning his credentials. The comments come amid ongoing uncertainty over the permanent Italy head coach position following the Spalletti era. As a former teammate of Conte at Juventus and a close friend of Maldini, Tevez's endorsement carries personal weight but no official decision-making authority.
Chance analysis
Tevez's comments are editorial opinion rather than breaking news, but they reflect the ongoing turbulence around the Italy national team coaching position. The Conte–Maldini pairing has been a recurring theme in Italian football discourse, combining a proven winner with a respected sporting director. Criticism of Spalletti, who is still in the role, and of Scaloni — Argentina's World Cup-winning coach — is unlikely to shift FIGC's calculus but signals the discontent among former players with the current direction. This does not directly affect upcoming match predictions but contextualizes the political environment around Italy's next coaching appointment.
No direct impact on team performance or upcoming matches; contributes to the narrative around Italy's coaching search.
Treat this as background opinion; do not weight it in match prediction models, but note ongoing instability around the Italy national team coaching position.