Andrea Pirlo and Paolo Maldini developed a strong friendship during their tenure at AC Milan, but they never played together for the national team, as Pirlo’s debut came shortly after Maldini’s international retirement.

Multiple sources indicate that Pirlo is now the leading candidate to become Italy’s national team coach after Pep Guardiola rejected the FIGC proposal.

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Pirlo Set to Become New Italy Head Coach?

Maldini has recently taken on the role of technical director for the Azzurri, where he is responsible for selecting the next head coach, although final approval rests with FIGC President Giovanni Malagò.

ROME, ITALY- MARCH 20: Andrea Pirlo and Paolo Maldini of AC Milan celebrate their second goal at the Serie A game between Roma and AC Milan at the Stadio Olimpico on March 20, 2005 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Newpress/Getty Images)

According to the Gazzetta, Maldini had wanted to hire Pirlo as Milan’s head coach in 2023, prior to his dismissal from the club.

If Maldini had remained, he likely would have considered his former teammate to take over from Stefano Pioli, who ultimately stayed at San Siro for another season.

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“It’s true. We had talked about it, but it was just a chat between friends,” Pirlo noted in October 2023.

Both Maldini and Pirlo enjoyed successful spells at Milan, where they won the Champions League twice, in addition to two Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, two European Supercups, and one Club World Cup.

However, the pair never played together for the Italy national team, as Pirlo debuted just a few months after Maldini’s international retirement.

Maldini’s last appearance for the Azzurri was in the 2002 World Cup Round of 16 match against South Korea, where Italy was eliminated.

Pirlo made his international debut a short time later, in September 2002, against Azerbaijan, subbing on in the 77th minute for another Milan icon, Filippo Inzaghi. At that time, Pirlo was just beginning his second season with the Rossoneri.

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The strong connection between Pirlo and Maldini, two footballing legends, has been evident throughout their careers as both have reaffirmed in recent years.

EMPOLI, ITALY – OCTOBER 01: Paolo Maldini of AC Milan looks on during the Serie A match between Empoli FC and AC Milan at Stadio Carlo Castellani on October 1, 2022 in Empoli, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

Maldini was among the first to learn of Pirlo’s appointment as the new Juventus head coach in the summer of 2020, shortly after Pirlo became the Bianconeri’s U23 coach.

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“I called him to congratulate him on being appointed head coach of the U23,” Maldini recounted.

“I jokingly said: ‘You are not going to Turin to coach the first team, are you?’ He replied: ‘How did you know?’ I was one of the first people to find out. What started as a joke turned out to be the truth.”