Silvio Baldini will lead Italy national football team as interim coach in June after the Italian Football Federation confirmed his appointment on Friday, stepping in for friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece following a chaotic period in Italian football.
Italy needed a reset. They crashed out of another World Cup cycle, and the fallout hit hard. The federation moved quickly, but it still looks like damage control.
The crisis ripped through the hierarchy. Gabriele Gravina stepped down under pressure, and Gianluigi Buffon also walked away from his role. That double exit exposed the scale of the collapse.
The dugout did not escape either. Gennaro Gattuso left his post on April 3, leaving a vacuum the federation could not ignore. They chose not to rush a permanent appointment.
Instead, they turned to Baldini. He has been working with the under-21 side, and the federation trusts his familiarity with emerging talent. This feels like a bridge, not a long-term solution.
The fixtures now carry extra weight. Italy travel to Luxembourg on June 3 before heading to Crete to face Greece on June 7. These are friendlies on paper, but they will shape the mood around the national side.
Baldini’s job looks simple on the surface. He must steady the dressing room, restore belief, and give direction. In reality, he must rebuild confidence in a system that has lost its edge.
The bigger picture looms in September. Italy return for the UEFA Nations League, and by then, the federation must decide its long-term path.
