Cairo: ‘Italy emergency cannot wait for long-term project, first 100 days crucial’ | OneFootball

Torino President Urbano Cairo warns the long-term project for Italy presented by Paolo Maldini and Giovanni Malagò is too ambitious. ‘The first 100 days are decisive.’

The FIGC President and his new technical director of the Nazionale, along with special advisor Leonardo, met with the Lega Serie A today.

BERGAMO, ITALY – FEBRUARY 16: AC Milan Sporting Strategy & Development Director Paolo Maldini and AC Milan Club Sporting Director Leonardo De Araujo before the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and AC Milan at Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia on February 16, 2019 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

They spoke to the representatives of 20 top flight clubs about the plans to completely reset Italian football, including a new coach, a solid identity, and setting the guidelines for youth academies.

Not everyone was impressed with the idea of a long-term project after Italy failed to qualify for three consecutive editions of the World Cup.

Cairo in a hurry to resolve Italy problems

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ITALY – MARCH 5: Giovanni Malago, President of the Organising Committee for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, speaks during the mural inauguration ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games at the Cortina Paralympic Village on March 05, 2026 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Photo by Linnea Rheborg/Getty Images for IPC)

“I confirm my respect for Malagò, while Maldini and Leonardo made a very good impression, but we need to do things more quickly,” insisted Torino chief Cairo to reporters.

“As with every activity, the first 100 days are decisive. So we need to speed things up here. It’s almost better for them to inherit such a negative situation, I experienced that by buying businesses that were on the brink of bankruptcy.”

What does Cairo think they could do in the space of 100 days to transform a football movement that has been struggling for over a decade?

“Change the rules to develop talent, talk about investment. I’d much prefer talking about a project that runs from two to four years,” he replied.

“In 2014, Carlo Tavecchio was elected FIGC President and he had an uphill struggle due to a few gaffes, but then choosing Antonio Conte as coach really launched him.

“Malagò has to be careful, because the difficult choices are made by the President. What we have here is an emergency, not something to be resolved in eight to 10 years,” concluded Cairo.

In his press conference, Malagò had talked about a project taking Italy up to the EURO 2032 tournament, which will be co-hosted with Turkiye, so closer to six years than 10.