Paolo Maldini was the central figure behind Italy‘s attempt to hire Pep Guardiola as the next manager of the Azzurri, though the Spanish tactician ultimately passed on the opportunity. While opening up about his departure from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the legendary defender explained why Guardiola chose not to take charge of the national team.
In his former role as Italy‘s sporting director, Maldini was tasked by federation president Giovanni Malago with spearheading the search for a new head coach. While Carlo Ancelotti reaffirmed his commitment to Brazil, Guardiola, who had recently departed Manchester City, emerged as a viable candidate, leading to promising initial discussions.
In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Maldini reflected on how negotiations with Guardiola unfolded: “He is the manager who most embodies technical, attacking play. Through a few mutual friends, he had expressed an interest in managing a national team. We went to visit him in Barcelona, had lunch together, and talked for an entire day. He was very tempted. He came very close to accepting. He even started writing line-ups down on paper.“
Maldini and technical advisor Leonardo traveled to Barcelona for face-to-face talks with Guardiola, who had recently stepped down after a decade at Manchester City. Although reports suggested Guardiola demanded a €20 million annual salary (roughly $22 million USD), Maldini clarified that money was never a barrier. “Financial terms were never an obstacle. Pep made it clear: give me one euro less than the previous manager, and I am satisfied,” Maldini revealed.
Mikel Arteta (L), head coach of Arsenal, and Pep Guardiola (R), head coach of Manchester City. (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
When asked about the deciding factor behind Guardiola’s refusal, Maldini was candid: “Out of fatigue. Guardiola is coming off ten grueling years in the Premier League. He had back surgery. He wants to rest. But it was a very serious discussion; we went over the rosters, from the under-17s on up… So we went with Andrea. Malago knew everything; we kept him informed step by step.“
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Since making his top-flight managerial debut with FC Barcelona in 2008, Guardiola took a single sabbatical year between 2012 and 2013 before taking over at Bayern Munich, followed by a ten-year reign at Manchester City from 2016 to 2026. While managing a national team remained a career goal, the Spaniard ultimately decided the timing was not right to take the helm of the Azzurri.
Maldini’s brief tenure and sudden resignation
An institutional crisis following Italy’s third consecutive missed World Cup prompted Malago to appoint Maldini as sporting director. However, after assuming the role on July 11, Maldini resigned just 16 days later on July 27 after the federation president blocked the hiring of Andrea Pirlo over alleged ties between the former midfielder and a Russian betting firm.
When asked whether those reported ties influenced the decision to override Pirlo’s appointment, Maldini defended his choice while addressing the controversy: “That definitely played a role. We didn’t know about it. The media did its job. But legally speaking, there was nothing that could have prevented Andrea from becoming the National Team head coach.“
Maldini emphasized that no legal impediments existed to block Pirlo’s appointment, arguing the situation was sensationalized beyond proportion. However, the disagreement prompted Malago to unilaterally alter the administrative structure, leading to an ultimatum that the AC Milan legend found unacceptable.
“He (Malago) called me and Leonardo to say: ‘In my view, we can no longer hire Pirlo. From today on, I decide the manager. From today, the rules change: I choose the head coach, and you endorse it.’ But if I have a role, if I have a responsibility, and I intend to exercise it, that is an unacceptable proposition. We took 24 hours and submitted our resignations, on a contract that had not even started yet,” said Maldini, whose agreement was set to begin on August 1st.
