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Pep Guardiola could have been the head coach of the Italy national football team, as the four-time FIFA World Cup champions nearly signed him. Paolo Maldini has disclosed that Italy came remarkably close to securing the former Manchester City boss during his short-lived tenure as the Italian Football Federation's (FIGC) technical director.
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In an interview with Corriere della Sera, the AC Milan legend explained that he and his advisor, Leonardo, traveled to Barcelona for extensive talks with the former Premier League club manager. Guardiola, who had just left City after a decade in charge, showed strong interest in the role and the long-term project to rebuild Italian football.
Maldini reveals Italy came ‘extremely close’ to appointing Guardiola as head coach
Maldini said:
“We were extremely close to getting Pep Guardiola as new Italy head coach.”
Maldini added:
“Pep was gonna accept same salary as previous coach and also started thinking about the players and the potential line up.”
The Spaniard even began sketching formations on paper and reviewed squads from the Under-17 level upward. Money was never an obstacle; Guardiola reportedly told them he would accept one euro less than the previous coach’s salary.
A few days later, however, Guardiola declined the offer. As per Maldini, Pep was tired and also wanted to spend more time with his family after giving his all to City during the busy schedule. The decision stemmed from exhaustion after ten demanding years in the Premier League and recovery from back surgery.
The near-appointment formed part of Maldini’s ambitious vision for a multi-year overhaul of the Azzurri. His stint at the FIGC lasted only about two weeks before he resigned amid disagreements over decision-making authority.
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