The appointment of Andrea Pirlo as head coach of the Italian national team, proposed by technical director Paolo Maldini with the support of consultant Leonardo, has not yet been finalized. The final decision rests with FIGC president Giovanni Malagò, who has delayed his approval amid growing public scrutiny.

According to several reports, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was initially approached but declined the position. Among the other candidates considered, Roberto Mancini and Antonio Conte were frequently mentioned. Several Serie A clubs are reportedly in favor of Conte, according to sources cited in the press.

Multiple controversies have emerged around Pirlo's candidacy. The first concerns his commercial role as brand ambassador for the Russian betting company Fonbet, an arrangement that, according to widespread media reports, would need to be terminated should he accept the national team position. Pirlo addressed the matter through a social media post, expressing "great bitterness" and stating that the Fonbet contract "has no political significance." In the same message, he mentioned Maldini and Leonardo but did not reference Malagò. According to a report in Corriere della Sera, Pirlo also reportedly questioned why the World Cup was held in the United States, a country engaged in conflict with Iran, if his Russian commercial ties were deemed problematic.

A second issue concerns a potential conflict of interest related to the professional activities of the sons of both Pirlo and Maldini. Nicolò Pirlo works as an intermediary and scout at the agency You First/Garsh Sports, while Christian Maldini collaborates with Gr Sports, the agency of Giuseppe Riso. Both agencies represent players involved in Italian football. However, neither Nicolò Pirlo nor Christian Maldini has passed the qualification exam or is registered on the National Register of Sports Agents, making their situation formally different from the precedent involving Marcello Lippi. In 2016, Lippi chose to step back from a FIGC technical director role because his son Davide was a registered agent, which triggered a formal incompatibility under federation rules.

According to press reconstructions, Malagò has intensified contacts with Maldini to assess a situation that has become more complex than anticipated. It is not excluded that the matter may be discussed at the Federal Council scheduled for July 28. According to the same reports, Malagò did not contact Pirlo to reassure him on a recent day, unlike the previous day, a detail interpreted by some observers as a sign that the appointment may be at risk.

If the agreement with Pirlo were to fall through, Maldini could consider stepping down from his role, according to the newspaper la Repubblica. Writer Maurizio De Giovanni also publicly addressed Malagò in an open letter published by La Stampa, questioning the choice of Pirlo and suggesting that the FIGC consider Carlo Baldini instead.

Pirlo, 47, is currently in Austria holding a training camp with Dubai United, the club he manages, awaiting a final decision from the federation.