Italian Football: Entrusting the Future to Legends?

Following Italy's third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup and the resignation of those accountable, there has been widespread discussion about a comprehensive reform plan exceeding 900 pages, proposed 15 years ago by Roberto Baggio, the former Technical Director of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).

This was a deeply passionate project by one of Italian football's greatest icons, but it was ruthlessly shelved. Extremely disappointed, Baggio resigned shortly afterward.

Italian football fans recall this proposal with regret. If it had been listened to and implemented, perhaps football in the land of pasta would not have declined, and would not have missed even one World Cup. No one ever knew the exact content or the grand scale of that proposal, but people trusted Baggio. They believed that no one understood and desired the revival of the Azzurri jersey and Italian football more than former players who had poured their last sweat on the pitch for it. A figure like the "Divine Ponytail" harbored even greater aspirations than anyone, as he was once seen as the culprit for Italy's loss in the 1994 World Cup final and endured sleepless nights of pain.

Therefore, the dream of Italian fans now is to see such individuals step up to oversee the reconstruction from the ruins. Baggio and his 900-page proposal may no longer be relevant, but handing over both the FIGC and the future of Italian football to legends is gaining support. According to information reported by the newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport , Paolo Maldini is the name most frequently mentioned for the role of FIGC President. What this legendary Italian number one achieved during his four years as Technical Director at Milan is truly convincing, and his firm stance of "only accepting the position if given real authority," very similar to Baggio's, guarantees the project's feasibility.

Not only Maldini, people also mention Demetrio Albertini, who served as FIGC Vice President for seven years from 2007 and once ran for FIGC President in 2014; Damiano Tommasi, who also held various football management positions after retiring; Alessandro Del Piero, and even Francesco Totti, world-class stars of their generation. On Sky Sport, Del Piero spoke heartfelt words about what needs to be done to bring Italian football back and received widespread support.

A task equally important as selecting the FIGC leadership is finding a new coach for the Italian national team to replace Gennaro Gattuso, who recently resigned. Rebuilding the entire football foundation with a vision for 5 or 10 years may require time, but the Azzurri must rise immediately.

Among the top candidates named, Max Allegri stated he wants to stay at Milan and compete in the Champions League, Simone Inzaghi affirmed he is extremely satisfied with his current life and work in Saudi Arabia, while Roberto Mancini is not prioritized as he left Italian football in 2023 and previously had conflicts with the FIGC. According to Italian media, Antonio Conte is the most prominent name. Conte, who left the head coach position of the Italian national team after EURO 2016 due to disagreements, always feels he still has unfinished business with the Azzurri jersey. Regarding Napoli, President Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed he would allow Conte to leave even though their contract runs until June 2027.

The election for the FIGC President seat will take place on June 22, and the coach for the Italian national team will be decided afterward. For now, the friendly match against Greece on June 7 will be entrusted to a temporary manager.