Guardiola snubs Italy approach as FIGC line up Pirlo for long-term rebuild

Pep Guardiola has definitively rejected an offer to become Italy head coach, dealing a major setback to the Italian Football Federation’s restructuring plans and pushing Azzurri chiefs towards Andrea Pirlo as their preferred alternative.

According to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Guardiola informed Paolo Maldini, the federation’s new technical director, and his adviser Leonardo that he would not be taking the job, despite being “proud” to have been approached.

In a message cited by the report, Guardiola told the pair: “Thank you, I am proud of this offer, but I don’t feel that I am able to take on this experience at the moment.”

The 53-year-old Spaniard is understood to have given serious consideration to the proposal, weighing up for a long period whether to lead the Azzurri, before ultimately deciding that his personal and professional priorities made it impossible to accept.

Desire for sabbatical decisive

Guardiola has already chosen to end his spell at Manchester City after 10 years in charge of the Premier League club, and had made clear he would only reconsider that stance for an exceptional opportunity.

The prospect of coaching Italy did cause him to pause, the report says, particularly because the offer came from figures he holds in high regard within the game, such as Maldini and Leonardo.

However, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Guardiola’s wish to take an extended break from coaching after a long and intense career across European and world football was the key factor behind his refusal.

He wants more time for himself and his family and does not feel ready to commit to another demanding role immediately following a decade at the Etihad Stadium.

Professional standards and respect for Italy

The decision was also shaped by Guardiola’s footballing principles. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach is renowned for his total immersion in his work and believes managing a national side requires full-time dedication rather than remote oversight or heavy reliance on assistants.

During the talks, he was quoted as saying: “If I do it, I will do it 100%,” underlining his reluctance to undertake any job without giving it his complete focus – something he currently feels unable to guarantee, especially for what would be a completely new experience in his career.

The report adds that Guardiola was keen to show full respect both to Italy, a country he greatly admires, and to Maldini, with whom he has a strong relationship. Maldini, as a Milan icon, had been on the losing side when Guardiola won his first UEFA Champions League title as a coach, a success the Spaniard is said to have “gifted” symbolically to the former defender.

Maldini had put a long-term proposal on the table, envisaging Guardiola at the helm of the Azzurri for between eight and ten years. The Spaniard, though, does not currently feel ready to embark on such a far-reaching project, particularly given his desire to step away from intense pressure for a period.

Pirlo now front-runner

With negotiations with Guardiola now definitively closed, the Italian Football Federation has moved on to its contingency plan, centred on former Italy playmaker Pirlo.

Maldini and Leonardo are convinced that Pirlo is the right figure to usher in a new era for the national team, break with some elements of the recent past and introduce a different footballing vision for Italy over the coming years.

Time is not on their side. The UEFA Nations League starts in around eight weeks, followed by preparations for UEFA Euro 2028. Nevertheless, the federation believes its long-term strategy cannot be reshaped again with further sudden changes and must be allowed to run its course.

The objective is to construct a squad capable of competing at the 2030 FIFA World Cup, following a turbulent period in which Italy failed to qualify for both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

Ancelotti also turned Italy down

Maldini revealed on Thursday that he had also entered into talks with Carlo Ancelotti, currently head coach of Brazil, about taking charge of Italy.

However, the veteran Italian coach rejected that approach as well, choosing instead to continue his current project with the Selecao.

With both Guardiola and Ancelotti out of the picture, all indications now point towards Pirlo as the man being lined up to lead Italy’s next chapter.