Paolo Maldini has revealed that Pep Guardiola came remarkably close to becoming Italy’s head coach, offering fresh insight into the ambitious project that fell apart just 16 days after the former AC Milan captain took charge of the country’s football rebuild.
Maldini and Leonardo resigned from their technical roles at the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) shortly after their appointments, leaving Italy without the sporting leadership structure that was supposed to oversee a new era for the four-time world champions.
In an interview with Corriere della Sera, one of Italy’s leading daily newspapers, Maldini revealed that Guardiola was not merely approached for the Italy job but was involved in detailed discussions about the country’s future.
“With Guardiola, we studied the squads, from the Under-17s upwards,” Maldini said, adding that the Manchester City manager “even started writing the lineups”.
The talks progressed far enough for the two sides to discuss money, but Maldini insisted finances were not what prevented Guardiola from taking the job.
“Guardiola told us: ‘Give me one euro less than the last national team coach was earning and I’m ready,’” Maldini said.
“He didn’t turn it down because of money.”
Instead, Maldini said Guardiola was exhausted after a decade in the Premier League and was also dealing with the aftermath of back surgery.
“He was tired after ten exhausting years in the Premier League,” Maldini said.
MALDINI’S PIRLO PLAN
Once Guardiola was no longer available, Maldini had another preferred candidate in mind: Andrea Pirlo.
The former Italy midfielder was Maldini’s choice despite questions over his coaching experience. Maldini pointed to Lionel Scaloni and Luis de la Fuente, the coaches who guided Argentina and Spain to the last two World Cup titles.
“What were the credentials of the last two world champion coaches, Scaloni and De la Fuente?” Maldini said, while describing Pirlo as “extremely well prepared”.
Pirlo’s commercial relationship with Russian betting company Fonbet eventually became a major obstacle to his candidacy. Maldini dismissed the controversy as “a pretext” and insisted there was “no legal impediment”, adding that Pirlo was prepared to end the relationship.
The FIGC ultimately moved away from Pirlo, while Maldini and Leonardo later resigned after disagreements over the independence they were given within the project.
“We submitted our resignations because the necessary conditions of trust no longer existed,” Maldini said.
Maldini also revealed that Thiago Motta was never considered, saying: “He was never among our options.”
The revelations underline just how ambitious the short-lived project was. Italy had hoped Maldini’s arrival would provide a long-term technical vision after repeated World Cup failures. Instead, the federation is once again searching for both stability and direction.
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