The controversy surrounding Andrea Pirlo's potential appointment as head coach of the Italian national team has reignited a broader debate on the governance of Italian football. Pirlo, a former World Cup-winning midfielder, was considered among the candidates for the Azzurra bench, but his path reportedly stalled due to controversy stemming from his role as testimonial for a foreign commercial brand. The episode has brought attention to the criteria used in selecting key sports figures and on the relationship between politics, media, and sporting decisions. The FIGC, Italy's football federation, is at the center of the current phase of reorganization, following the arrival of Giovanni Malagò as president in 2026. Malagò previously served as president of CONI from 2013 to 2025 for three consecutive terms, and then led the Milano-Cortina 2026 Foundation. The transition has fueled discussion about generational turnover within the football movement and the concentration of institutional roles. The current debate also echoes past attempts at reform: Roberto Baggio, a celebrated figure in world football, presented a roughly 900-page strategic plan aimed at profoundly reorganizing the youth sector. The plan was not implemented, and Baggio resigned, citing the impossibility of realizing those proposals. The failed qualification of the Italian national team for two consecutive World Cups remains a backdrop to the ongoing discussion on the future of Italian football.