Pep Guardiola has turned down the opportunity to become Italy’s next national team head coach, forcing the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to consider alternative candidates as it continues its search for a successor
According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Sky Sport Italia and other Italian media, the Manchester City legend informed the FIGC that he would not take up the role despite holding positive discussions with the federation’s newly appointed technical director, Paolo Maldini.
Maldini, accompanied by former Brazil international Leonardo, travelled to Barcelona last weekend to meet Guardiola as part of the federation’s ambitious plan to appoint one of football’s most respected coaches to lead the Azzurri into a new era.
Speaking during the Lega Serie A assembly on Thursday, Maldini admitted that Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti were among the federation’s preferred candidates.
“The ideal would be to have the coach by the end of this week, but perhaps even more ideal would be to wait for the person we really want,” Maldini said.
“We cannot deny that we also spoke to Carlo Ancelotti before talking to Pep, and it felt only right to start with those we considered to be the best in the world. So we needed to get a general idea of their availability.”
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