CESARE MALDINI is taking over as national coach from Arrigo Sacchi (now with AC Milan), the newly-elected head of the Italian football federation, Luciano Nizzola, announced yesterday.
Maldini, who was the highly successful under-21 coach, has little time to lose as Italy face a crucial test of their future World Cup potential against Glenn Hoddle's England at Wembley on February 12th.
It will be a nostalgic moment for Maldini, who turns 65 exactly a week before, because he lifted the European Cup at Wembley in 1963 with AC Milan - the first time an Italian club had won the trophy.
His salary will be markedly less than would have been needed to tempt a top club star like Bayern Munich's Giovanni Trapattoni or Lazio president Dino Zoff, and he is already a part of the national coaching and federation set-up.
He can also be expected to have a good rapport with the captain of the national team - his son Paolo.
Maldini, who started a family tradition by playing at the back for AC Milan, began his coaching career as the club's number two from 1971 to 1974.
He became deputy national coach to Enzo Bearzot from 1980 to 1986, during which Italy won the World Cup in 1982. From there he moved to the under-21 side, before landing the top job yesterday and if all goes well, he can expect to stay there until the end of 1998.
Meanwhile AC Milan may be about to lose Roberto Baggio after a dust-up with coach Sacchi, but they continued their renaissance in the Serie A and were celebrating a hat-trick from Demetrio Albertini yesterday as they trounced bottom club Reggiana 3-0.
Alessandro Del Piero scored twice for league leaders Juventus as the world champions came from 2-0 down to beat Verona 3-2. Del Piero, whose goal in Tokyo last month won the Intercontinetal Cup for Juventus, notched yesterday's winner in the 72nd minute.
Inter Milan crashed to only their second defeat of the season as Giovanni Montell scored a hat-trick for Sampdoria in a 4-3 win at San Siro.
Atalanta's Filippo Inzaghi scored twice against Piacenza to become the Serie A's top marksman with 10 goals.
