Overview
- FIGC president Giovanni Malagò announced Zola’s appointment as coordinator of Club Italia youth projects on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, completing the leadership trio alongside coach Roberto Mancini and technical director Claudio Ranieri.
- Zola will oversee and supervise the national youth teams and the overall youth pathway with the aim of easing players’ transition from the Under teams into the senior national squad.
- He will work closely with Claudio Ranieri and existing youth coordinator Maurizio Viscidi while retaining his role as vice president vicario of Lega Pro.
- Zola brings practical experience from Lega Pro, where his ‘Riforma Zola’ requires Serie C clubs to register more homegrown players, a policy FIGC cites as a foundation for his new duties.
- The FIGC framed the hire as institutional alignment with Lega Pro leadership under Matteo Marani and as part of a broader plan to refresh Italy’s talent pipeline after the federation restructured Club Italia this summer.