epa09419220 Former president of the Polish Football Association Zbigniew Boniek talks with media at the “Sofitel Victoria” hotel, in Warsaw, Poland 18 August 2021. Boniek was stepping down as president of the Polish Soccer Assciationn and Cezary Kulesza was elected president of the football federation, who received 92 votes, and his rival Marek Kozminski – 23. At the same time, the delegates – by acclamation – decided that Boniek would become the honorary president of the Polish Football Association. EPA-EFE/Piotr Nowak POLAND OUT
Saturday’s reports claim that former Juventus and Roma forward and former UEFA vice-President Zbigniew Boniek is among the alternative options to Paolo Maldini for the vacant technical director role with the Italy national team.
Boniek option emerges for Italy
Giovanni Malagò has recently been appointed as the new President of the FIGC and he will be tasked with redesigning the Italy national team set-up following the departures of head coach Gennaro Gattuso and delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon earlier this year.
Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini remain the frontrunners for the vacant Italy national team head coach role, but it is understood that the FIGC will look to appoint a new technical director before making a final decision on the next CT.
Several legendary former Italy internationals have been linked with the technical director role, most prominently Maldini, who has been out of work since leaving his beloved Milan in controversial circumstances in the summer of 2023.
There have also been mentions of Buffon, Alessandro Del Piero, Gianfranco Zola, Claudio Ranieri, Roberto Baggio, Demetrio Albertini, Beppe Bergomi.
However, according to reports from the Corriere dello Sport, the new name that has emerged on Italy’s list of potential alternatives to Maldini is Boniek, who was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame back in 2019.
Boniek spent the final six years of his playing career in Serie A with Juventus and Roma, and later returned to Italy as coach of Lecce, Bari, Sambenedettese and Avellino.
Boniek served as the chair of the Polish FA between 2012 and 2021, when he was appointed as UEFA vice-President under Aleksander Ceferin, serving alongside former FIGC President Gabriele Gravina in the same role.
Boniek has been out of work since stepping down from his position with UEFA in April of 2025.
