Simonelli says TV‑break revealed Maldini and Leonardo resignations

In a cramped press room in Bergamo on February 16, 2019, Lega Serie A President Ezio Simonelli announced he had only just learned from TV’ that AC Milan’s Paolo Maldini and Leonardo De Araujo had resigned from their roles in Italy’s national project, a development he said had been “in the air.”

Four days earlier, FIGC President Giovanni Malagò, Club Italia technical director and his special advisor Leonardo had spoken to the Serie A clubs to present their project, a meeting that took place in FEBRUARY and set the stage for the later fallout.

Simonelli introduced the two officials at a joint press conference, but the entire plan collapsed after Andrea Pirlo was blocked from becoming Italy coach, prompting the reported resignations of Maldini and Leonardo.

The story broke in the middle of a FIGC meeting in Rome and was described as shambolic, shaking the whole ITALY football hierarchy.

Serie A chairman admits Italy chose Conte, yet Mancini gets the job

Simonelli told reporters, “We learned about Maldini and Leonardo’s resignation from the television,” adding that he “wouldn’t say I was entirely surprised, it had been in the air,” and that choosing Maldini had been “a great decision.”

FIGC President Giovanni Malagò left the meeting by a different exit to avoid the crowd of reporters gathered outside, a move that underscored the tension surrounding the disclosures.

When asked whether the federation chief had hinted at a successor for the Italy bench, Simonelli replied, “We didn’t make names, we talked about criteria,” emphasizing the focus on process rather than individuals.

It is now likely that Malagò will choose Roberto Mancini for the Nazionale and later appoint a technical director for Club Italia, signalling the next phase of the national project after the abrupt departures.