*PAOLO MALDINI AND LEORNADO QUIT AFTER 16 DAYS*

Paolo Maldini 🗣️: “One of my biggest mistakes was ever accepting the role in the first place. Italian football has fallen so far, and it’s all because of the federation. When we were appointed, we drafted a three-man shortlist to take over as manager of the national team. Pep Guardiola was obviously our first choice, while Andrea Pirlo was our third.

We negotiated well with Pep, and we reached an agreement with him. However, when we informed the federation about our agreement, they told us they couldn’t afford to pay him and said we needed to find a cheaper option. 

We then reached an agreement with Andrea, who we believed would have been a good choice to lead us back to the glory days since the federation couldn’t afford to pay Pep. But President Malagò went against the appointment, using his association with a Russian brand as an excuse.

This is a sad day for Italian football because it has fallen lower than ever before, all due to the incompetence of the federation. We will continue to remain a low-level football nation if Malagò is still the federation’s president. That is the truth. We both tried our best, but believe me when I tell you that we can’t be saved again.”