Italy’s football governing body FIGC president Giovanni Malagò is preparing “showdown” discussions after learning that Paolo Maldini’s decision on a possible Italy technical director role is due today. Multiple reports indicate that La Repubblica says Maldini will decide whether to accept an offer to take up the position, though expectations are largely pessimistic. In parallel, the same coverage frames FIGC’s contingency planning around the possibility that Maldini does not take the role. The reports describe three alternative options being considered as potential “Maldini alternatives” for Italy’s technical director post, suggesting FIGC is preparing to move quickly depending on Maldini’s response. While the articles focus on the decision timeline and the broader planning around successors, they do not provide further details on the specific alternatives in the excerpted material. Overall, the situation centers on an impending decision by Maldini and FIGC’s efforts to identify replacement candidates ahead of the next management steps.