Andrea Pirlo handed Italy job on long-term deal after pursuit of Pep Guardiola collapses

Andrea Pirlo has been chosen as the new head coach of Italy on a four-year contract, after the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) failed in attempts to lure Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti to the role.

The FIGC moved quickly once Guardiola, described as its first-choice target, turned down the job, according to Italian newspaper La Repubblica. Ancelotti was never a realistic contender because of his existing agreement to lead Brazil until 2030.

Pirlo’s contract with Italy will run until the 2030 World Cup and is worth around €1.5m per year, the report says, with additional bonuses and performance-related incentives built in.

The 45-year-old, currently in charge of Emirati side FC United, is expected to leave his club post to take over the Azzurri in the coming weeks. His appointment is seen as a key part of an attempt to revive a national team that has endured a prolonged period of decline despite winning Euro 2020 (played in 2021).

World Cup winner returns as national team figurehead

Pirlo enjoyed a distinguished international career between 2002 and 2015, winning 116 caps and scoring 13 goals for Italy.

He was one of the central figures in Italy’s 2006 World Cup triumph in Germany, playing a pivotal role in the campaign that ended with victory over France on penalties in the final. That remains Italy’s fourth and most recent World Cup title.

Pirlo also helped Italy reach the final of Euro 2012, where they finished runners-up, and contributed to a third-place finish at the 2013 Confederations Cup.

Now he is tasked with restoring a country with four world titles to what Italian officials regard as its natural position among the elite of the international game. Only Brazil, with five World Cup wins, have collected more.

Appointment comes amid Italy crisis

The decision to turn to Pirlo follows one of the most turbulent periods in Italy’s modern football history.

Aside from their Euro 2020 success, Italy’s recent record has been marked by repeated failures in World Cup qualification. The crisis deepened in March, when the Azzurri lost on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-offs for the 2026 World Cup.

That defeat confirmed Italy’s absence from the World Cup finals for a third consecutive edition, having already missed out in 2018 and 2022 after last appearing at Brazil 2014. The latest setback led to the resignation of head coach Gennaro Gattuso.

Against that backdrop, Pirlo inherits what is widely seen as a demanding and high-pressure brief: halt the slide and ensure Italy return to the World Cup stage in 2030.

Maldini backing and limited coaching track record

Pirlo’s selection has the strong backing of Paolo Maldini, the legendary former defender who is now technical director at the FIGC.

Maldini and Pirlo are close friends after spending eight seasons together at Milan between 2001 and 2009, a spell in which they won multiple trophies including the Champions League and Serie A titles.

Maldini had previously hoped to bring Pirlo back to Milan as head coach while serving as a senior executive at the club, but that plan never materialised before Maldini left his post in June 2023.

They will now be reunited at national-team level in what is regarded as a challenging long-term project, not least because of Pirlo’s relatively modest coaching resume.

The former midfielder’s managerial career began at Juventus, where he won the Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup in the 2020-21 season. He then had spells in charge of Fatih Karagumruk in Turkey and Sampdoria in Italy, before taking over at FC United in the United Arab Emirates.

Pirlo is expected to leave his job in the UAE to step into the Italy role once the formalities of his FIGC agreement are completed.