Maldini reveals Guardiola’s near‑miss for Italy’s bench
Pep Guardiola was on the verge of becoming Italy's national team coach, a claim confirmed by former Azzurra defender Paolo Maldini in an interview with the Corriere della Sera. Maldini said the Spanish manager was "very tempted and almost accepted" and cited the headline "Pep Guardiola en el Banquillo Europa Press" as evidence.
After Italy missed the Mundial for the third consecutive time, losing to Bosnia in the play‑off, the Federación italiana launched a full restructuring and began searching for a new head coach. The failure to qualify sparked a sense of urgency within the Italian football hierarchy.
The federation contacted Guardiola, and rumours of his possible appointment grew after his departure from Manchester City. Maldini confirmed those rumours, noting that the discussions lasted several days and were taken seriously by both sides.
Maldini praised Guardiola as "the coach who best represents technical and offensive football". He recalled a visit to Barcelona where they ate together, talked all day, and where Guardiola even started writing line‑ups on paper.
Addressing financial speculation, Maldini denied that Guardiola demanded €20 million to take the job. He quoted Guardiola saying, "Give me one euro less than the previous coach and that is enough."
Ultimately, Guardiola declined, seeking rest after ten exhausting years in the Premier League and a recent back operation. Maldini explained that the Catalan wanted a break and therefore turned down the Italian project.
Italy has not featured in a World Cup since 2014, missing the 2022 Qatar tournament, the 2018 Russia edition, and the upcoming 2026 edition. This prolonged absence has pressured the federation to pursue a dramatic change from the grassroots to the senior squad.
The turmoil continued when Maldini resigned as sporting director alongside Leonardo, just 16 days after their appointment. Their resignation followed the blocked hiring of Andrea Pirlo, whose commercial ties to a Russian betting firm were not approved by the federation president, prompting another reshuffle.