Maldini says public opinion, not law, stopped Pirlo’s Italy bid

Paolo Maldini told the Corriere della Sera that there would have been no major legal obstacles to appointing Andrea Pirlo as Italy’s head coach, insisting that public opinion, not law, derailed the move. He made the comment while reflecting on his brief stint as technical director of the FIGC and his resignation after just 17 days.

Maldini emphasized that, on a legal level, nothing prevented Pirlo from becoming the national team coach. He described the opposition as an “exaggerated” reaction from the court of public opinion rather than a statutory ban.

In an in‑depth interview with the Corriere della Sera, Maldini recounted his short tenure as technical director of the FIGC and his eventual fallout with FIGC President Giovanni Malagò. He said the promised authority to choose the next head coach was never fully granted.

During his time at the FIGC, Maldini attempted to appoint Pirlo, his former AC Milan teammate, who was then head coach of Dubai United in the United Arab Emirates. The move was presented as part of a strategic shift for the Italian national side.

The push to bring Pirlo into the Italy setup faced fierce resistance from sections of the national support and within the FIGC itself. Critics pointed to Pirlo’s role as a global ambassador for the Russian betting company Fonbet, raising moral and ethical concerns.

Ultimately, President Giovanni Malagò made the final call and blocked Pirlo’s appointment. Maldini said Malagò directly intervened, stating that the decision on the coach now rested with him.

“Public opinion has done its job,” Maldini told the Corriere della Sera. “There was nothing on a legal level that would have prevented Andrea from becoming the head coach of the national team. It was definitely exaggerated in a certain way.”

Maldini added that Malagò phoned him and Leonardo to say: “In my opinion, we can no longer go for Pirlo. From today, the coach is up to me. From today, the rules change, I decide on the coach and you endorse it.”

Describing the situation as unacceptable, Maldini said the lack of confidence made it impossible to carry out the enormous task ahead. “We took 24 hours and then handed in our resignation, on a contract that hadn’t even started,” he explained.

Maldini’s account concludes that Pirlo’s candidacy was scuppered by the court of public opinion rather than any legal barrier, leaving the Italian FA to seek another direction for the national team.