Italian football in civil war as Maldini and Leonardo resign over Pirlo snub – The Telegraph

Italian football stands on the brink of institutional rupture after Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara Leonardo tendered their resignations from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) board within hours of each other, escalating a power struggle triggered by the rejection of Massimiliano Pirlo’s bid to become FIGC president. The departures mark the most serious rupture in the federation’s leadership since the Calciopoli scandal, with Maldini’s exit—effective immediately—ending a 15-month tenure during which he had overseen the men’s national team’s Euro 2024 qualification and the restructuring of the youth development system.

A boardroom implosion rooted in Pirlo’s presidential bid

The resignations followed the FIGC’s electoral college vote on Thursday, in which Pirlo’s candidacy was rejected by a margin of 18 votes to 12. Maldini, FIGC vice-president and sporting director, and Leonardo, sporting director of the FIGC’s technical sector, had both publicly backed Pirlo, arguing his vision for modernising the federation’s governance and commercial strategy aligned with their own reformist agenda. Their departures leave Pirlo isolated within the board and signal a decisive split between the reformist faction and the coalition led by incumbent president Gabriele Gravina, who secured re-election in April 2024.

Sources within the federation described the vote as a proxy battle over control of the FIGC’s €1.2bn annual budget, with Gravina’s allies citing Pirlo’s lack of executive experience as justification for rejecting his bid. Maldini’s resignation letter, circulated internally on Friday morning, cited “irreconcilable differences over the direction of the federation” and warned that the current leadership was “incapable of delivering the structural reforms required to compete at the highest level.” Leonardo’s exit followed shortly after, with his statement emphasising “the need for a unified technical vision” that Pirlo’s campaign purportedly represented.

What comes next: paralysis or realignment?

The immediate consequence is a leadership vacuum at a critical juncture. The FIGC’s men’s national team is scheduled to begin 2026 World Cup qualifiers in September, while the women’s team prepares for the Euros in July. With Maldini and Leonardo gone, Gravina retains the presidency but lacks the technical expertise they brought to squad selection, tactical planning, and youth development. The federation’s technical committee, already under scrutiny for its handling of the Under-21 side’s poor Euro 2023 campaign, now faces further instability.

Pirlo has not ruled out a future bid for the presidency, but his path now depends on whether he can consolidate support among regional football associations and Serie A clubs. Gravina’s allies have already begun courting disaffected delegates, with one delegate quoted in La Gazzetta dello Sport as saying, “The federation cannot afford another year of infighting.” Meanwhile, Serie A clubs, many of which have grown frustrated with the FIGC’s opaque financial governance, are privately debating whether to escalate their demands for greater autonomy—a move that could precipitate a breakaway competition.

Tactical fallout: who fills the void?

The resignations leave a power vacuum that extends beyond personnel. Maldini’s role in negotiating transfer windows and Leonardo’s oversight of coaching appointments meant their absence will delay key decisions. The men’s national team’s next training camp, scheduled for early July, now risks being overshadowed by selection disputes. Pirlo, who had proposed a radical overhaul of the FIGC’s scouting network, may struggle to implement his plans without allies in the boardroom.

Gravina’s immediate priority will be stabilising the federation’s finances, particularly after reports emerged of irregularities in the allocation of youth development funds. The FIGC’s auditors have requested an external review, which could delay the approval of next season’s budgets. Clubs are already bracing for potential cuts to solidarity payments, a lifeline for lower-league sides that rely on FIGC distributions.

The crisis also threatens to derail Italy’s bid to co-host Euro 2032 with Turkey. The joint candidature requires unanimous support from UEFA member associations, and Gravina’s weakened position could embolden critics within UEFA who question Italy’s organisational capacity. A failure to secure the bid would represent a further humiliation for a federation already reeling from the fallout of the Pirlo snub.

As the FIGC’s leadership crisis deepens, the broader question is whether Italian football can unite behind a shared project—or whether the current paralysis will accelerate a fragmentation that has been years in the making.