Maldini, Leonardo step down as Italy FA director, advisor
Paolo Maldini and Leonardo have both stepped down from their roles as Italy Federation technical director and advisor respectively after just 10 days of resuming office.
The pair threw in the towel after Italian Football Federation (FIGC) President Giovanni Malagò decided not to go ahead with a deal to make Andrea Pirlo the new head coach of the Italian national team.
Recall that on Monday, Malagò decided not to approve Pirlo’s appointment as new coach of Italy after a probe revealed his connections with a Russian betting firm.
After the president’s hard stance, Maldini and Leonardo decided to leave their roles with immediate effect as they both only wanted Pirlo to become the new coach of Italy.
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Politicians and federation members strongly objected to Pirlo’s links with the Russian betting company Fonbet, while critics argued that a national team coach should not have ties to Russian corporate sponsors amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
While reacting to the decision to call off the deal, Pirlo stated he learned he was cut from the position to become the new Italy head coach on Sunday night.
Pirlo who was considered as one of the best midfielders of all time, defended the partnership on Instagram, stating it was strictly for sports and business, not politics.
