The Italian Football Federation is undertaking a sweeping long-term restructuring project designed to rescue Italian football from its deepest crisis in decades. Technical Director Paolo Maldini and advisor Leonardo presented the plan to Serie A clubs this week, outlining an ambitious 8–10 year roadmap targeting competitive viability at the 2030 World Cup and a genuine title challenge at Euro 2032, which Italy will co-host.
The Restructuring Plan Takes Shape
The rifondazione (refoundation) project is built on five pillars:
Centralized methodology: A single playing philosophy, taught uniformly at Coverciano (the national training center) and Club Italia, the FIGC's residential academy for elite youth prospects.
Youth-senior integration: National team selections will prioritize players developed under the new system, creating a direct pathway from age-group teams to the senior squad.
Coach education: Specialized training for technical staff at every level, with an emphasis on individual skill development rather than purely tactical instruction.
Federal investment: Targeted infrastructure upgrades at regional training centers to ensure consistent standards nationwide.
Federation-club partnership: A closer relationship with Serie A and Serie B clubs, who will be expected to align their youth academies with FIGC guidelines.
Maldini and Leonardo, longtime friends and former AC Milan teammates, framed the initiative as a cultural shift as much as a technical one. "There are many types of coaches who are winners," Leonardo said at the Serie A presentation, "but you have to find the one who is in tune with the technical direction. Until now, there was a national team coach who was in charge of everything. Now the idea is to create a training methodology that cascades from the national team down to the youth ranks."
The timeline is deliberately long. The FIGC is targeting competitive viability by the 2030 World Cup, hosted across South America, and a genuine title challenge at Euro 2032. Intermediate benchmarks include performance at the 2028 European Championship and consistent qualification for major tournaments—a basic standard Italy has failed to meet, having missed the last three World Cups.
The Coach Search: High Ambitions and Ongoing Discussions
Maldini and Leonardo have set their sights high in the search for a national team coach who can implement the new methodology. Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager, was approached personally in mid-July for discussions about leading not just the national team but the entire technical overhaul of Italian football. According to reports, the FIGC presented an ambitious proposal, though Maldini later noted that "the financial aspect was in no way relevant" to the conversation.
At present, the Guardiola possibility remains under consideration, with Maldini describing the outreach efforts as necessary: "It was right to start with the best in the world and verify general availability."
Carlo Ancelotti, currently under contract with Brazil through 2030, was also approached for preliminary discussions and politely declined to pursue the opportunity at this time.
The Main Candidates
With the restructuring plan now public, attention turns to identifying the right coach to implement the vision. The main alternatives being considered include:
• Antonio Conte: The experienced winner has domestic support from Serie A clubs but faces questions about whether his independent coaching style aligns with the new centralized framework.
• Roberto Mancini: The Euro 2020 champion was under consideration earlier in the process but the federation seeks a candidate fully committed to the new methodology from inception.
• Andrea Pirlo: Among the alternatives under review, the former Juventus coach represents a younger, homegrown candidate aligned with the technical philosophy Maldini and Leonardo are establishing across all FIGC structures.
The selection process reflects a broader philosophical shift. Under the previous model, the national team coach operated with near-total autonomy. Now, the Technical Director—Maldini—holds unprecedented authority to impose a single methodology from the senior team down through the Under-21, Under-19, and grassroots levels. The coach must buy into this system completely, not design it himself.
Lessons from France and Context Within European Football
Italy's blueprint borrows heavily from France's Clairefontaine model, which transformed Les Bleus from also-rans in the 1970s into two-time world champions by focusing on technical excellence and centralized talent development. Spain and Germany have implemented similar reforms with sustained success at both club and international level.
At the same time, the FIGC's restructuring unfolds against a backdrop of sweeping change across European football. UEFA has overhauled its club competitions and is preparing to restructure the Nations League into three tiers starting in 2029. These reforms prioritize competitive balance but have drawn criticism from smaller federations worried about reduced access to elite opponents.
Italy's challenge is to reverse two decades of decline without marginalizing its own clubs. Serie A sides have expressed cautious support but remain wary of top-down mandates that could conflict with their commercial priorities. Maldini and Leonardo's pitch emphasizes mutual benefit: a stronger national team increases the global profile of Italian football, which in turn helps clubs attract investment and talent.
What Happens Next
The Federal Council will formalize the governance structure in the coming weeks, including Maldini's expanded powers and the budget allocation for infrastructure and coach training. FIGC President Giovanni Malagò, who recruited Maldini and oversaw the entire restructuring process, expressed confidence in the leadership: "They are winners committed to this project."
Announcements regarding the coaching appointment are expected in the coming days as the selection process advances.
Whether the chosen coach can deliver on the pitch while implementing a decade-long cultural shift remains to be seen. For now, the FIGC is betting that patience, methodology, and Italian pride—embodied by two of the country's most decorated players—can restore credibility to a football nation that has spent the last three World Cup cycles watching from home.
