Italian coach Andrea Maldera has been named as Ukraine’s new head coach, Ukrainian Football Association president Andriy Shevchenko announced on Monday.
The 55-year-old becomes the first foreign manager to take charge of the Ukrainian men’s national team, stepping in after Serhiy Rebrov left the role in April. Rebrov’s exit came following Ukraine’s failure to secure qualification for the World Cup.
Quick facts
- Andrea Maldera appointed as Ukraine head coach by the Ukrainian Football Association.
- Andriy Shevchenko made the announcement on Monday.
- Maldera is 55 and will be Ukraine’s first foreign national-team head coach.
- He takes over after Serhiy Rebrov stepped down in April following a World Cup qualification miss.
Shevchenko described Maldera as someone with a strong connection to Ukraine, saying the coach is “an Italian with a Ukrainian soul.” He added that Maldera had already spent five years working with the national team and then continued his development by taking on roles with leading sides.
“Andrea has a background of working with great coaches, clubs, and achieved results,” Shevchenko said. He also stressed that the appointment matters not just for experience but for leadership goals, adding that it is important Maldera now has ambitions as a head coach and, most crucially, understands how to manage the national team.
Maldera previously served as a technical coach until 2021 under Shevchenko during Shevchenko’s time as manager of the Ukraine team. After finishing his contract with the association, he moved into further coaching work, including an assistant role with Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton & Hove Albion.
He later worked in a similar assistant capacity at Olympique de Marseille in Ligue 1, continuing his career in top-flight football before his return to national-team management.
