PAOLI MALDINI NAMED FIGC TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, WITH LEONARDO AS AN ADVISOR

It is with great satisfaction that FIGC President Giovanni Malagò announces that Paolo Maldini has accepted the offer to become the Federation’s Technical Director.

It is with great satisfaction that FIGC President Giovanni Malagò announces that Paolo Maldini has accepted the offer to become the FIGC’s Technical Director. Maldini will carry out this role alongside Leonardo in his capacity as an Advisor.

Giovanni Malagò will also appoint Paolo Maldini as President of Club Italia. "Maldini was always my first choice," Malagò said. "I felt he could be the right person to oversee the FIGC's technical sector, which doesn't just cover the senior national team but the entire pathway of the national youth teams. Over the past two weeks, we have discussed all the projects in detail, and Paolo immediately told me that he would be happy to involve Leonardo as a consultant because there is a lot of work to do and it will be demanding and challenging. I'm pleased because I have enormous respect for Leonardo. They are two sides of the same coin. This is a four-year commitment that must take us from here to the next World Cup in 2030, with a European Championship along the way."

- Italian Football Federation 

SAN SIRO OFF HOSTING 2027 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

UEFA has re-opened the bidding process to stage the 2027 Champions League final after stripping Milan's San Siro Stadium of the hosting rights.

The San Siro, the home ground of AC Milan and Inter Milan, last staged the Champions League final in 2016 when Real Madrid defeated Atlético Madrid following a penalty shoot-out.

UEFA announced Milan as the 2027 host city in May this year at the same time as confirming the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary, as the venue for the 2026 Champions League final.

But despite confirming Milan as the 2027 venue, UEFA did so on the proviso that the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) submitted information in the plans for the multi-million pound refurbishment of the San Siro.

Those plans remain uncertain with both Milan and Inter considering moving out of the San Siro, officially named the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, due to an ongoing battle to secure funding for the renovation of the existing stadium.

If funds cannot be secured, the 75,817-capacity San Siro, which opened in 1926, could be demolished.

And with the future of the stadium still shrouded in doubt, UEFA has announced that it will now seek a new host venue for the 2027 Champions League final following a meeting of its Executive Committee on Tuesday.

A UEFA statement said, "As the Municipality of Milano could not guarantee that the San Siro stadium and its surroundings would not be affected by refurbishment works in the period of the 2027 UEFA Champions League final, it was decided not to assign the final to Milan and to re-open the bidding process to appoint a suitable venue, with a decision expected in May/June 2025."

Munich's Allianz Arena will host the 2025 Champions League final on May 31, but with only Budapest and Milan submitting bids to host the 2026 and 2027 finals when the bidding process opened in July 2023, a source has told ESPN that UEFA will now seek expressions of interest from cities that originally chose not to bid for the 2027 Champions League final.

+ Mark Ogden, Senior Writer, ESPN FC

ROMA BOSS JOSE MOURINHO AVOIDS BAN FOR CALLING REF UNSTABLE

Reuters 

Roma coach Jose Mourinho escaped a touchline ban after cooperating with the Italian football federation's disciplinary prosecutor and was instead only fined €20,000 ($22,000) on Friday for labelling a referee unstable.

Before a recent match with Sassuolo, Mourinho questioned the abilities of referee Matteo Marcenaro.

"We had him three times as a fourth official and I don't think he has the emotional stability for games of this level," Mourinho said.

NEWCASTLE STILL IN LIMBO OVER TONALI BAN, SAYS

Reuters 

Sandro Tonali could be available for Newcastle United this weekend despite being given a 10-month ban for breaches of Italian betting rules, manager Eddie Howe said on Friday ahead of the Premier League clash at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The head of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said on Thursday that midfielder Tonali had been sanctioned with an 18-month ban, eight of which will be commuted to alternative treatment.

JUVENTUS GIVE FULL SUPPORT TO FAGIOLI AS BAN BEGINS FOR BETTING

Reuters 

Juventus will provide full support to Nicolo Fagioli after the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed the player's seven-month ban for breaching rules on betting on matches has begun, the Serie A club said on Thursday.

The FIGC announced the punishment on Tuesday, before confirming two days later that his suspension begins on Oct. 19, meaning the player could return for the end of the season.

The FIGC also confirmed that Fagioli will undergo therapy for his gambling lasting at least six months, and in a minimum of 10 public meetings in a period of five months.