Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Fabio Capello feels Paolo Maldini is an excellent appointment as the Italian football federation’s new technical director.
The FIGC has been undergoing a rebuild in the wake of Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
It has now been confirmed that Italy great Maldini is the organisation’s new technical director.
He has signed a four-year deal, through to the 2030 World Cup, and former Real Madrid, AC Milan and England coach Capello believes Maldini will shake things up.
According to Football Italia, Capello told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “Nobody better than him would be able to do it.
“I’m really happy about it. Paolo was the first name on their list and they’ve got him, he’s definitely the person we need.
“I’m happy for the national team and also for him. He’s serious, capable and attentive. He doesn’t speak, he works. He has ideas, he will have a well-defined project in his mind already.”
Paolo Maldini is the new FIGC Technical Director and President of Club Italia
— Italy (@Azzurri_En) July 12, 2026
Maldini served in the same role between 2019 and 2023 at Milan, having also previously worked as a sporting director.
“Everyone has seen what he did with the Rossoneri,” added Capello.
“He’s not a yes man, he wants to have the freedom to change things, he has an exact plan and wants to make that happen.
“It’s very positive. Without that, he would have never accepted.
“Someone like him has to be free to put his ideas to good use. I’m sure that he won’t have made much of a fuss on an economic level, more so that he wants to be able to put the ideas he has in mind into practice, and in that way, he can be really useful.”
Roberto Mancini has been linked with taking over as head coach.
Mancini led Italy to Euro 2020 glory five years ago, though he then surprisingly left in August 2023 to take charge of Saudi Arabia.
When asked who he would appoint as coach, Capello said: “I’ve already said [Antonio] Conte, who has done well with the Azzurri.
“Mancini is also good, but leaving the national team up the creek a few days before a series of important matches is too big to forget.”
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