Pep Guardiola rejects Italy manager job despite advanced Maldini talks
Pep Guardiola rejected the opportunity to manage the Italy national team this summer, despite holding advanced talks with Paolo Maldini, to take an extended break from the sport.
The former Manchester City boss was heavily pursued by the Azzurri following their failure to qualify for the World Cup.
Italian legend Paolo Maldini was tasked with leading the national rebuild and targeted the 55-year-old following his departure from the Etihad Stadium.
Tactical planning in Barcelona
Negotiations progressed significantly during a meeting in Catalonia, with the highly decorated tactician immersing himself in the project.
The Spanish manager analysed the national player pool extensively, looking at prospects down to the under-17 level.
“With Guardiola we studied the lists of players, starting from the under-17 team and above,” Maldini revealed.
“He even began writing out line-ups.”
Financial demands were not a stumbling block for the serial winner, who was reportedly willing to take a pay cut to lead the European nation.
“Guardiola told us: ‘Give me one euro less than what the last coach was earning and I am ready’,” Maldini claimed.
England links and managerial sabbatical
Ultimately, the Catalan coach opted for a sabbatical following a demanding 13-year continuous spell managing across Europe’s elite.
His decision mirrored his stance on the England vacancy, where he reportedly held a verbal agreement with the Football Association before stepping back.
The Three Lions subsequently turned to Thomas Tuchel, whose position remains secure despite a recent World Cup semi-final collapse against Argentina.
England chiefs had granted the German coach a new contract before that tournament commenced, making an imminent change highly unlikely.
Maldini departs after Pirlo veto
Following rejections from both Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti, Maldini attempted to appoint 2006 World Cup winner Andrea Pirlo.
However, Italian football chiefs vetoed the move due to the former Juventus manager’s commercial ties with Russian betting firms.
That boardroom intervention prompted Maldini to resign from his directorial role after less than three weeks in the post.
The Italian federation has since navigated the immediate crisis by appointing Roberto Mancini for a second spell in charge of the national side.