Italy's federation implodes as Maldini quits, Pirlo ruled out

Paolo Maldini has left his role as technical director of the Italian Football Federation following the decision to rule out Andrea Pirlo as Italy's next head coach. According to Sky Sports, Maldini's departure came after Pirlo was eliminated from contention over his sponsorship ties to Russian betting firm Fonbet. Maldini had been appointed to the position on 11 July, meaning his tenure lasted just 16 days.

The betting scandal caps a chaotic fortnight for the federation. The BBC reported on Monday that Pirlo said he would no longer pursue the Italy job following days of controversy over his link to the Russian betting company. The Guardian added that Leonardo, the federation's sporting director, also resigned in the wake of Pirlo's withdrawal. Both departures underline the depth of the crisis engulfing Italian football's governing body.

The federation's search for a new head coach has become a public embarrassment. Pep Guardiola turned down the role earlier in the week, telling the federation "Thank you, I'm honored, but for now, I don't feel ready," according to Yahoo Sports. Carlo Ancelotti, the Brazil national team coach, also declined. The Italian national team has failed to qualify for three consecutive World Cups, a record of failure that has made the job radioactive among Europe's elite coaches.