Photo: Ukrainian Association of Football
The Ukrainian Association of Football (Ukrainian Association of Football) has officially appointed Italian specialist Andrea Maldera as the new head coach of the Ukraine national football team.
The appointment was confirmed during an Executive Committee meeting, which approved the decision and formalized Maldera’s contract.
This marks the first time in history that a foreign coach has taken charge of Ukraine’s senior national team. The 55-year-old Italian has signed a two-year contract with an option for extension.
Maldera previously worked within Ukraine’s national team setup from 2016 to 2021 as an assistant to Andriy Shevchenko. He also served as a youth coach at AC Milan, worked as a match analyst for the senior Milan team, and was an assistant to Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton and Marseille.
Earlier reports had named Myron Markevych as a leading candidate for the position.
Serhii Rebrov led Ukraine from 2023, guiding the team to Euro 2024 qualification, where they failed to reach the knockout stage. In the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, Ukraine reached the playoff semifinal but lost 1–3 to Sweden.
