Alessandro Del Piero

Alessandro Del Piero won the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy, scoring a decisive goal in the semi-final against Germany and converting a penalty in the final shootout against France. After nineteen seasons and 290 goals at Juventus, he retired in 2014 and became a football analyst for Sky Sport Italia and CBS Sports. He completed the UEFA Pro Licence at Coverciano in May 2025, formally qualifying him to manage at the highest professional level. When Gennaro Gattuso resigned as Italy head coach on 3 April 2026, Del Piero's name circulated as part of the coaching debate , and by 8 April he had also been named as a potential FIGC presidential candidate.

Del Piero made 705 appearances for Juventus, a club record, and earned 91 international caps for Italy. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of Italian football. His broadcasting work spans Serie A, the Champions League and international tournaments, giving him a prominent public voice on the governance crisis. No former player has ever led the FIGC, a fact his candidacy would make history if realised. Candidates must declare by approximately 13 May; the extraordinary FIGC assembly of 274 delegates votes on 22 June 2026 in Rome.

His significance in this moment is partly symbolic: Del Piero embodies the era of Italian football dominance that the current generation has failed to sustain. Italy has now missed three consecutive World Cups, and the search for a new FIGC president has inevitably drawn comparisons with figures from the 2006 triumph. Whether Del Piero transitions from pundit to football administrator , rather than manager , remains to be seen, but his UEFA Pro Licence and his name recognition make the question credible in both directions.