Cairo: Malagò and Maldini made very good impression, but 8-10 years is too long

Torino president Urbano Cairo said Carlo Malagò and Paolo Maldini made a very good impression during the Lega Assembly, but the timelines proposed for Italian football's reform project are too long.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Lega Assembly on Thursday, Cairo confirmed his esteem for Malagò and praised the impression left by Maldini and Leonardo. However, he stressed that the reform process needs to move faster and warned against long timelines.

"The first 100 days are decisive," Cairo said. "In every activity, the first 100 days are decisive. The timelines must be shorter. Inheriting a negative situation is almost better — I've done it in companies that were almost bankrupt. So I know it can be done quickly."

He suggested concrete actions for the first 100 days: "Change the rules to develop talents, talk about investments. I'd prefer to talk about a program from two to four years, not eight to ten years."

Cairo also referenced Carlo Tavecchio's election in 2014, noting that despite early missteps, the choice of Antonio Conte gave him great momentum. He warned Malagò that choices weigh heavily on the president.

"There's an immediate emergency, not eight to ten years," he said.

Sources

• https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Nazionale/23-07-2026/cairo-malago-maldini.shtml