Brazilian boss in frame for Italy amid directors' exits; why | OneFootball

Brazilian boss in frame for Italy amid directors' exits; why | OneFootball

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·27 July 2026

Brazilian boss in frame for Italy amid directors' exits; why

Article image:Brazilian boss in frame for Italy amid directors' exits; why

After Andrea Pirlo’s name was ruled out, a new name has emerged on the table of the Italian Football Federation (Federcalcio) in the attempt to hire a coach to lead the Azzurra.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Thiago Motta is now the leading candidate!


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In practice, hiring the Brazilian-born, naturalized Italian could still have prevented the departures of Maldini and Leonardo and truly tried to kick off the reforms desired by president Giovanni Malagò.

However, Sky Sport reported that Maldini and Leonardo did in fact resign and left the Italian Football Federation.

The federation’s guideline is to look for a young, modern profile with a vision for the future.

According to the Italian newspaper, this description matches Thiago Motta: a coach capable of working with young players, who knows the Coverciano environment (the national team’s headquarters) well and, above all, who would have the potential to bring all parties into agreement.

The situation, however, is still uncertain.

Gazzetta also reported that Maldini and Leonardo approached Malagò demanding explanations over the decision to abandon Pirlo’s appointment, and with the idea that they might resign from their respective positions, which ultimately happened, according to Sky Sports.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.


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