EXCLUSIVE: Massimo Taibi on Paolo Maldini's Italy appointment & his spell at Man United

[infobox id="cd16667b-1dad-4af2-8364-0bb52afadc5d" /][p]He has appointed a Technical Director, a crucial link between the Federation, the National Team manager, and the technical department. For this role, he has chosen a high-calibre profile in Paolo Maldini. Alongside him is another former champion with vast executive experience: Leonardo. [/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/taibi-massimo/fF5xK1BP/"]Massimo Taibi[/a] knows them well, having played alongside both at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ac-milan/8Sa8HInO/"]AC Milan[/a] in the 1990s. We interviewed the former goalkeeper exclusively for [i][b]Flashscore[/b][/i] to get a close-up look at Paolo and Leo, to hear his thoughts on the future of the Azzurri, as well as on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Manchester United[/a], where he played between the posts in the 1999/2000 season, and on Ruben Amorim's new Milan.[/p][p][b]What do you make of the decision to entrust the management of the National Team to Paolo Maldini and Leonardo, who will also be tasked with choosing the next manager?[/b][/p][p]"I can tell you that, by bringing in Maldini, the Federation has pulled off a masterstroke. You need a real football man, with strong values like Paolo's. Leonardo is also an exquisite person, with deep values just like Paolo; it’s no coincidence they are friends.[/p][p]"I had the pleasure of playing with both of them at Milan and spending time with them, especially Leonardo: they are highly cultured individuals who know international football inside out.[/p][p]"Finally, professionals have been chosen to work with true competence, without any 'nepotism' or the usual ties that kept the same names rotating within the Federation. Apart from the recent appointment of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/buffon-louis/8prb20Ou/"]Gigi Buffon[/a], Paolo's role seems more structured. In the past, top-level management always featured the same faces; now, President Malagò has made a truly smart choice."[/p][p][b]What are your memories of your relationship with Maldini, both on and off the pitch? What kind of guy was he? [/b][/p][p]"I had the pleasure of playing for two years with Paolo, seeing him both in his youth and when he was more experienced. He was one of the greatest driving forces: the first to train at maximum intensity, the first to step onto the pitch, to support you, to give you the right advice and to motivate you.[/p][p]"He was a leader - I wouldn't say a silent one, because he made himself heard - who didn't try to steal the spotlight at all costs, but commanded respect and was a massive help in the dressing room. He was great."[/p][image alt="Massimo Taibi ahead of Reggina 1914 vs Frosinone Calcio" id="ece5598b-ce72-4144-b0eb-b669cae397dd" credit-line="IPA, Independent Photo Agency Srl / Alamy / Profimedia" guid="2df09e1b-1147-4023-b6b9-b9cf9f35e391" original-width="1250" original-height="833" /][p][b]And what about Leonardo? You mentioned that you had more of a relationship with him off the pitch.[/b][/p][p]"Off the pitch, I didn't spend much time with Paolo because life in Milan can pull you in different directions, aside from a few club dinners.[/p][p]"With Leonardo, however, I hung out more often since we lived in the same building in Milan. We used to travel to Milan together, and he really impressed me: he arrived in September, in the last days of the transfer window, and despite not speaking a single word of Italian, after just two months he spoke it better than me.[/p][p]"He has a superior mind and culture; he's a great man. Both stand out for their incredible humility; true champions are humble, and Leonardo, despite speaking many languages, has always remained a very grounded, approachable, and composed person. Even though we don't speak often now, I have exceptional memories of both."[/p][p][b]Knowing their personalities, do you think they will go for an experienced manager, a younger profile, or are you expecting a surprise move?[/b][/p][p]"I believe that, being highly competent and above all 'untainted' by certain political dynamics, they will use their own heads. They will make a well-thought-out choice to find the right manager for the National Team. I don't know if it will be a young coach or an experienced one, but one thing is certain: they will act without external pressure or political favours."[/p][p][b]You are an executive yourself today. In your opinion, what does the National Team need to bounce back to the levels it belongs at?[/b][/p][p]"First of all, the right manager must be chosen, because he is the one who makes the decisions and the call-ups. He must have the courage to invest in youth, as Maldini has done recently, and have a forward-looking vision. We can't just be focused on the next game; we need to organise and plan ahead as we did in the Lippi era, scouting the right youngsters and nurturing them.[/p][p]"Obviously, we need the cooperation of the clubs: if they don't play the youngsters, we're back to square one. Maldini and Leonardo can bring in a coach with this vision and, through their presence, shake up a stagnant environment.[/p][p]"In Serie A, there are too many foreigners - talented ones, but too many, and we need to start integrating more youth again. I don't know if they have the power to impose rules, like having at least six Italians on the pitch, but something definitely needs to be done."[/p][p][b]And what about the idea of going for a foreign manager? For example, there's talk of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guardiola-pep/hxNijWrJ/"]Guardiola[/a]. How would you view that?[/b][/p][p]"Guardiola is not a foreigner: he knows Italian football like few others, he played here, and he speaks our language. He would be an added value because he is an international profile who knows our culture perfectly.[/p][p]"It would be different from bringing in, with all due respect, a Van Gaal, who would arrive without knowing the language or the local culture. To manage in Italy, you have to know our dynamics, and Guardiola knows them flawlessly: he understands how things work and speaks the language; he would be a massive asset."[/p][p][b]You played for Manchester United. What do you think about the decision to bank on a club man like [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/carrick-michael/phM8NElP/"]Carrick[/a] after years of 'burned-out' managers?[/b][/p][p]"Carrick earned his permanent job through results; they didn't do him a favour! United lived through the Ferguson era - he was a mastermind - but everyone knew his departure would leave a void that would be tough to fill. Betting on someone who played there and knows the environment could be the right move to rediscover that club identity. They were both smart and  lucky to find him."[/p][image alt="Massimo Taibi in goal for Man United" id="ac9c9978-6b5d-476f-b4ce-60de3415b655" credit-line="Mary Evans / Allstar/Michael Mayhe / Mary Evans Picture Library / Profimedia" guid="3aaf9869-8cba-4082-9c5b-c989810406c5" original-width="1250" original-height="833" /][p][b]What is Manchester United missing to return to the top after so many years of struggle?[/b][/p][p]"World football is all about cycles. You have major eras, then you suffer a dip and have to rebuild. There was a period where the other side of Manchester, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]City[/a], took over; [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] had their time, now it’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a]’s turn, and Manchester United are recovering too. It happens in Italy as well: we've had the eras of Milan, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/juventus/C06aJvIB/"]Juve[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter/Iw7eKK25/"]Inter[/a]. It’s a wheel that turns, and now United's time is coming around again."[/p][p] [/p]