Paolo Maldini revealed that Pep Guardiola showed significant interest in the head coach position for the Italy national team, even beginning to draft potential formations and analyze youth teams. However, he attributed Guardiola’s decision not to take the role to ‘exhaustion’ rather than financial considerations.

Maldini elaborated on his brief tenure as technical director of the FIGC during an interview with the Corriere della Sera.

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Click here to read the full interview in English.

Maldini’s Insights on Recruiting Guardiola for Italy

In his candid interview, Maldini covered discussions he and advisor Leonardo had with Guardiola. The two had traveled to Barcelona to meet with the recently available coach to explore the potential project, but ultimately, Guardiola opted out, feeling fatigued after a decade in the Premier League.

“He had expressed the idea of wanting to coach a national team to a few friends of his. We went to visit him in Barcelona, we had lunch together, we talked for a whole day,” Maldini said. “He was very tempted. He came very close to accepting. He even started writing formations down on pieces of paper,” Maldini explained.

LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 27: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, acknowledges the fans after the team’s victory during the Emirates FA Cup Semi Final match between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on April 27, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

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Reports emerged in Italy suggesting that Guardiola sought a €20m annual salary for the national team position, a claim that Maldini firmly denies: “Absolutely not. Money was never an issue. Pep told us clearly: Give me one euro less than what the previous coach took, and I’m fine.”

So, what prevented Maldini from securing Guardiola’s appointment?

“Because of exhaustion,” Maldini maintains. “Guardiola is coming off the back of 10 gruelling years in the Premier League. He’s had back surgery; he wants to rest. But it was a very serious discussion, we studied the squads from the U17s upwards.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND – APRIL 22: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Burnley and Manchester City at Turf Moor on April 22, 2026 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

“So then we went with Andrea (Pirlo). Malagò knew everything; we’d informed him step-by-step.”

Click here to read more from Maldini’s interview.

Paolo Maldini says that Pep Guardiola was so intrigued about the opportunity of taking over as head coach of the Italy national team that he was already drafting potential formations and analysing the youth teams, but claims that ‘exhaustion’ and not money is the reason why the Spaniard was not appointed.

Maldini has spoken in-depth about his short-lived reign as the technical director of the FIGC and his fall-out with FIGC President Giovanni Malagò in an interview with the Corriere della Sera.

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Click here to read the full interview in English.

What Maldini said about his attempts to appoint Guardiola as Italy head coach

During his bombshell interview with the Corriere della Sera, Maldini spoke openly about the conversations he and advisor Leonardo had with former Barcelona and Manchester City head coach Guardiola.

Maldini and Leonardo had visited Barcelona to speak to the recently-available tactician to discuss the project, but in the end, Guardiola decided that he was too tired after a 10-year spell in the Premier League to jump straight back into a new opportunity.

“He had expressed the idea of wanting to coach a national team to a few friends of his. We went to visit him in Barcelona, we had lunch together, we talked for a whole day,” Maldini said. “He was very tempted. He came very close to accepting. He even started writing formations down on pieces of paper,” he claimed.

LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 27: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, acknowledges the fans after the team’s victory during the Emirates FA Cup Semi Final match between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on April 27, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

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Reports in Italy claimed that Guardiola wanted a salary of €20m per season to take over as head coach of the national team, which Maldini strongly denies: “Absolutely not. Money was never an issue. Pep told us clearly: Give me one euro less than what the previous coach took and I’m fine.”

So, why was Maldini unable to get Guardiola over the line, then?

“Because of exhaustion,” Maldini insists. “Guardiola is coming off the back of 10 gruelling years in the Premier League. He’s had back surgery, he wants to rest. But it was a very serious discussion, we studied the squads from the U17s upwards.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND – APRIL 22: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Burnley and Manchester City at Turf Moor on April 22, 2026 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

“So then we went with Andrea (Pirlo). Malagò knew everything, we’d informed him step-by-step.”

Click here to read more from Maldini’s interview.