Paolo Maldini is already weighing up his future within the Italy national team set-up just 15 days after his appointment, and reports in Italy claim that Giorgio Chiellini could be among the list of replacements should Maldini decide to resign.
Could Chiellini step in if Maldini leaves FIGC role?
The appointment of a new head coach for the Italy national team has descended into chaos. After learning that neither Pep Guardiola nor Carlo Ancelotti would be taking over, recently-appointed FIGC technical director Maldini turned to his former Milan teammate Pirlo, who is currently employed by Dubai United in the UAE.
Despite reports over the weekend claiming that an appointment was imminent, it soon emerged that Pirlo is a global brand ambassador for Russian betting company Fonbet, which brought several legal, moral and political issues.
His appointment to the role of Italy head coach has since been ‘blocked’ and Pirlo himself confirmed on Monday morning that he is no longer in the running to become the next CT.
The situation has left Maldini frustrated, and multiple outlets in Italy have suggested that he could even resign over the matter.
If that were to be the case, FIGC President Giovanni Malagò would be in need of an immediate replacement, and La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Chiellini could be a potential option.
Maldini is expected to come to a decision fairly quickly, potentially even by the end of Monday, and if that does turn out to be the case, Chiellini could receive a proposal from Malagò at the meeting of the FIGC federal council in Rome on Tuesday.
Chiellini is currently serving as Chief Club Affairs Officer, having previously held the role of head of institutional relations.
La Gazzetta dello Sport adds that if Chiellini were to take over from Maldini in the FIGC set-up, then he would most likely seek to appoint his former Juventus coach Antonio Conte as the next CT.
Source: Football Italia
