Paolo Maldini could walk away from his role as technical director of the Italian federation if the move to appoint Andrea Pirlo as Azzurri coach collapses.
According to "La Gazzetta dello Sport", Maldini has always carried a strong and decisive streak. He has proven it time and again throughout his career, both on and off the pitch.
Having failed to land Pep Guardiola, Maldini and adviser Leonardo put forward a single name to relaunch the national team: Pirlo.
The official announcement seemed imminent. Then the whole thing turned political, all because of Pirlo's ties to the Russian betting company "Fonbet".
His relationship with Russian businessman Sergey Lomakin opened up what looks like a national affair, and it is proving difficult to overcome.
According to the newspaper, "this scenario was certainly not one Paolo Maldini was prepared for, as the uproar raised in recent hours left him in a state of shock".
Vouching for Pirlo's technical credentials fell squarely within Maldini's remit. Now he finds himself forced to defend his choice before a world completely alien to him: politics.
One thought has begun to creep into many minds, and perhaps into Maldini's too. The political rejection of Pirlo may be nothing more than a pretext to sidestep the decision taken by the technical director of the Italian football federation.