---
title: "Inside Italy's Recruitment Drive: How Paolo Maldini Nearly Hired Pep Guardiola"
url: https://projectchintan.com/article/italy-pep-guardiola-maldini-talks-revealed-dja42
publisher: Project Chintan
author: Project Chintan Newsroom
section: World
published: 2026-08-09T23:48:49.566Z
modified: 2026-08-10T03:01:35.176Z
language: en-IN
---

# Inside Italy's Recruitment Drive: How Paolo Maldini Nearly Hired Pep Guardiola

Paolo Maldini reveals that Pep Guardiola was close to accepting the Italian national team manager role before choosing a sabbatical. Despite discussing player lists and tactical lineups, the former Manchester City boss ultimately declined the position.

## Key takeaways

- Pep Guardiola turned down the Italy job specifically to take a sabbatical after 13 years of continuous club management.
- Paolo Maldini resigned from his role with the Italian federation after just three weeks when his move for Andrea Pirlo was blocked.
- Guardiola was willing to accept a pay cut to manage Italy, emphasizing his interest was tactical rather than financial.
- The English FA had a verbal agreement with Guardiola before he chose to stay at Manchester City and they eventually hired Thomas Tuchel.

## What Happened

Paolo Maldini, appointed by the Italian football federation to oversee a rebuild following a World Cup qualification failure, entered detailed negotiations with Pep Guardiola this summer. According to Maldini, discussions reached a stage where Guardiola began constructing potential starting lineups and reviewing player depth charts ranging from the under-17 level to the senior squad. During these talks in Barcelona, Guardiola reportedly offered to accept a salary lower than that of his predecessor, stating he was not motivated by financial gain.

## Background

The pursuit of Guardiola followed Italy's unsuccessful attempts to secure Carlo Ancelotti. Maldini's recruitment strategy faced complications when his third choice, Andrea Pirlo, was blocked by Italian football officials due to Pirlo's ties to Russian betting firms. This internal disagreement led to Maldini resigning from his post after less than three weeks. Consequently, Italy reappointed Roberto Mancini for a second tenure as head coach. Guardiola’s refusal of the role coincides with his exit from Manchester City after a ten-year tenure, preceded by three years at Bayern Munich.

## Why It Matters

The revelation highlights the specific reasons for Guardiola's current absence from the international stage. While he was previously linked to the England national team vacancy following Gareth Southgate’s departure, Guardiola instead extended his Manchester City contract for 18 months during the 2024/25 season. His decision to decline the Italy job was reportedly based solely on a requirement for a period of rest after 13 consecutive years of club management, rather than a lack of interest in the project or financial disagreements.

## Key Facts

- Paolo Maldini sought Pep Guardiola for the Italy job after the federation failed to qualify for the World Cup.
- Guardiola and Maldini met in Barcelona to study player lists across all age groups from under-17s upward.
- Guardiola offered to work for 'one euro less' than the previous Italy coach's salary.
- The appointment of Andrea Pirlo was vetoed by Italian chiefs over associations with Russian betting companies.
- Guardiola declined both the England and Italy roles in favor of taking time away from football.
- Italy has reappointed Roberto Mancini following Maldini's resignation.

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Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/italy-pep-guardiola-maldini-talks-revealed-dja42
Reported from: Multiple Sources