Pirlo’s long-term Italy project has one immediate priority | OneFootball

Andrea Pirlo is on the verge of being appointed the new head coach of the Italy national team, and though his has been described as a long-term project, the former Milan and Juventus midfielder has one immediate priority to focus on.

What does Pirlo need to focus on first after Italy appointment?

According to various reports over the last 24 hours, Pirlo is in line to be appointed as the new head coach of the Italy national team. The Azzurri have been without a CT since early April, following the resignation of Gennaro Gattuso after the World Cup play-off final defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 31.

Recently-appointed FIGC technical director Paolo Maldini had flown over to Barcelona to hold talks with Pep Guardiola regarding the vacancy, and has also admitted that he spoke to Carlo Ancelotti beforehand as well.

Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini had also been linked with the job at various stages over the last few weeks and months, but Pirlo appears to have Maldini’s backing, even if his expected appointment hasn’t satisfied everybody.

Maldini and his advisor Leonardo have recently spoken about this new Italy project being a long-term affair, potentially needing eight to 10 years to bring the Azzurri back to where they want to be on the global stage, but there is still an immediate priority that Pirlo will need to tackle.

REGGIO NELL’EMILIA – MAY 18: Head coach of Juventus Andrea Pirlo speaks with the media during an Juventus press conference ahead of the TIMVISION Cup Final between Atalanta BC and Juventus on May 18, 2021 in Reggio nell’Emilia. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images for Lega Serie A)

That is the upcoming Nations League campaign, which will run from September until November before progressing into the final tournament in the summer of 2027.

Italy will be in Nations League group A and will face fierce competition from France, Belgium and Turkey, playing each nation home and away over the course of the next few months.

Not only is this an opportunity for Pirlo and Italy to make a statement of intent, Italy’s results during the Nations League campaign will also have an affect on their position in the FIFA world rankings, which could in turn have an affect on Italy’s seeding at major tournaments should they qualify.

ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – MARCH 31: Players of Italy sing the national anthem prior the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)

As things stand, Italy rank 15th in the FIFA World Rankings, their lowest position since 2019.