Malagò: Five-a-side with Mancini and a potential ‘surprise’ Italy appointment

Malagò: Five-a-side with Mancini and a potential ‘surprise’ Italy appointment FIGC President Giovanni Malagò has been spotted playing five-a-side with Roberto Mancini, who remains in the running for the Italy national team head coach role, but the head of the Italian FA still wants to appoint a technical director first, and claims that there could be a ‘surprise’ candidate on the cards. Malago plays five-a-side with Mancini and comments on Italy’s potential technical director It is set to be a crucial few days for the future of the Italy national team set-up . Malagò has claimed that ‘this is the week for the technical director’ and has promised that there will be developments over the weekend. Italy are still without a head coach or a technical director following the departure of Gennaro Gattuso earlier this year. Delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon followed him and former FIGC President Gabriele Gravina out the door immediately after the World Cup play-off final defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina. ROME, ITALY – JUNE 19: Gianluigi Buffon, Italy new head coach Gennaro Gattuso and FIGC president Gabriele Gravina pose during the press conference at Hotel Parco dei Principi on June 19, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) Mancini and Antonio Conte are the two frontrunners to replace Gattuso as head coach of the Italy national team and Paolo Maldini has been widely linked with the offer to take over as technical director. Maldini has not yet come to a definitive decision, but Malagò insists that it is only a matter of time before an appointment is made. He claims that there could still be a ‘surprise’ option on the cards, though. “This is the week for the technical director, I won’t change my stance on that. It’s Thursday and I hope to calm the nerves over the weekend, I’m working hard. There could also be a surprise,” said Malagò (via TMW ). Meanwhile, as per La Repubblica , Malagò has been out playing five-a-side football with Mancini at the Coppa dei Canottieri tournament, an event that Malagò claims to have taken part in for the last 50 years. FIGC President Giovanni Malago (left) with coach Roberto Mancini (right): @coppa_canottieri via Instagram. Curiously, Malagò was on a team with Mancini, although this does not mean that he is the nailed-on favourite, as the Lega Serie A is said to prefer the idea of appointing Conte as Italy head coach.