Maldini reveals talks with Ancelotti as Italy delay decision on new head coach

Italy’s new football director Paolo Maldini has confirmed that the federation held discussions with Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti about taking charge of the Azzurri, while insisting there is no rush to appoint a successor to Gennaro Gattuso.

Maldini, recently installed as director of the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC), said the governing body is prepared to wait in order to secure its preferred candidate, even though pressure is growing after Italy missed out on this year’s World Cup.

Speaking to Italian news agency ANSA, Maldini explained that the FIGC would like to move quickly but will not compromise on its first-choice target.

“Ideally, we would announce the new coach this week, but above all we have to wait for the person we really want,” he said.

He acknowledged the external urgency around the decision but stressed that the federation would not be forced into a hasty call.

“There is a feeling that we need to move quickly, but there is no rush,” Maldini added.

Ancelotti approached, Guardiola off-limits for comment

Maldini declined to discuss Pep Guardiola directly, but did reveal that the FIGC had already contacted Ancelotti to gauge his interest in the national job.

“I cannot comment on the name of Pep Guardiola, but I can say that we have spoken with Carlo Ancelotti,” he said.

Maldini suggested that the federation began its search at the very top level of world coaching before working down its shortlist.

“It was right to start with the best in the world and check their general availability,” he said.

Ancelotti, however, is currently committed to Brazil, having extended his contract with the Selecao until the 2030 World Cup. That renewal significantly complicates any possibility of him taking over Italy in the near future.

Guardiola, meanwhile, left Manchester City last summer after a decade in charge, a spell in which he delivered a haul of domestic and European honours and established the club as a dominant force in English football.

Federation president admits Guardiola talks

The comments from Maldini follow public confirmation from the FIGC president that Italy have opened negotiations with Guardiola over the role.

Raising expectations around a possible appointment of the Spaniard, the president said earlier this week: “Yes, we are negotiating with Guardiola to coach Italy.”

Maldini’s refusal to discuss Guardiola by name, contrasted with that admission from the FIGC’s top official, underlines both the ambition of the federation and the sensitivity surrounding any approach to one of the game’s most sought-after managers.

Vacancy persists after Gattuso resignation

Italy have been without a head coach since Gattuso resigned following the country’s failure to qualify for this year’s World Cup, continuing a period of crisis for the four-time world champions.

The Azzurri will miss the tournament for the third consecutive edition, an unprecedented run of absences that has intensified scrutiny of the national team’s direction and the FIGC’s leadership.

That backdrop has made the choice of the next coach a pivotal decision for Italian football, with Maldini tasked with overseeing a rebuild designed to return Italy to the elite of the international game.

Despite the urgency of that challenge, Maldini reiterated that the federation will not be rushed into an appointment, maintaining that securing the right candidate – whether or not that proves to be Guardiola or Ancelotti – remains the overriding priority.