Pep Guardiola came remarkably close to taking on the role of head coach for Italy, as detailed by Paolo Maldini. During negotiations for the position, Guardiola started jotting down potential lineups on paper.
Appointed technical director of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in July, Maldini had a brief stint aimed at reforming Italian football but resigned after just 16 days due to chaos surrounding the coaching search, alongside adviser Leonardo.
In that short period, Maldini engaged in substantial discussions with prominent managerial figures, including Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti. He recounted traveling to Barcelona to meet Guardiola and spending an entire day delving into his vision for the Italian team.
“He’s the coach who epitomizes technical and attacking football,” Maldini shared in an interview with Corriere Della Sera. “Through mutual acquaintances, he expressed interest in managing a national team. We visited him in Barcelona, had lunch, and talked for hours.”
“He was very interested in the position and came close to accepting. He even began writing down lineups.”
Maldini also clarified that reports of Guardiola demanding €20 million ($23.3m) for the role were unfounded, stating that financial considerations were never an obstacle to reaching an agreement.
“Not at all. Money was never an issue,” Maldini affirmed. “Pep made it clear: ‘Just give me one euro less than the last coach was earning, and I’m good.'”
Ultimately, Maldini explained that Guardiola opted for a break after a decade with Manchester City.
“He needed a rest due to fatigue,” explained Maldini regarding Guardiola’s decision to turn down the Italy job. “After 10 tough years in the Premier League, plus back surgery, he wanted some downtime.”
“But we had a serious conversation, analyzing the squads from Under-17s and upwards.”
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Guardiola was not the only prominent manager approached during Maldini’s short tenure at FIGC.
Maldini noted that he also reached out to legendary coach Carlo Ancelotti, under whom he had played at AC Milan.
“We contacted the finest Italian coach ever, my close friend Carlo Ancelotti,” Maldini shared.
“He informed us that Brazil had reiterated its complete confidence in him, bidding us farewell and wishing us luck. It was a necessary conversation.”
Ancelotti chose to remain with Brazil, leaving Italy to explore other options in their search for a new coach after Gennaro Gattuso’s departure following the country’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Ultimately, Roberto Mancini was reinstated as the Italy coach, while Claudio Ranieri took over Maldini’s role as technical director.