"As far as the head coach matter is concerned, what emerged in the media yesterday is essentially accurate," Malagò said. "There was a candidate who had been absolutely settled on, I'd even use the word agreed, on the recommendation of technical director and Club Italia president Paolo Maldini, working alongside Leonardo.
"The controversy around the chosen name, Andrea Pirlo, led me personally to no longer approve that candidacy, and it was simply a judgement call on suitability.
"There are no other interpretations or other truths, no other circumstances that determined this decision."
Malagò was also emphatic that he had not been aware in advance of the issue that ultimately sank Pirlo's candidacy.
"One thing is certain: neither I nor the technical director were at all aware of this arrangement, which prompted a rethink and led to a firm position being taken," he said. "That position was met with an equally firm response of its own, but there was no conflict of any kind and no controversy whatsoever.
"I take responsibility for having halted the process of Andrea Pirlo's appointment, for a whole series of reasons and considerations of suitability that I did not feel comfortable proceeding with."
The remarks add further detail to an episode that also led to the resignations of Maldini and his advisor Leonardo, who had championed Pirlo's candidacy, just over two weeks after their own appointments, and which ultimately paved the way for Malagò to turn to Mancini as Italy's new head coach and Claudio Ranieri as the federation's new technical director.
Malagò's insistence that there was no personal rift with Maldini echoes his earlier description of their parting as amicable, even as the fallout from the affair continued to dominate discussion around the Italian federation in the days that followed.