Pep Guardiola came very close to becoming the coach of the Italian national team, but ultimately decided to turn down the offer because he needed a break, Paolo Maldini revealed.
The former Azzurri head coach said that Guardiola was very interested in taking the job and was even on the verge of accepting the offer. The opportunity arose after Carlo Ancelotti also turned down the Italian national team.
Maldini explained that Guardiola was considered the ideal candidate because of his style of play. “He’s the coach who best represents a technical and attacking style of play,” he noted, recalling the conversations they had.
According to Maldini, the contact with Guardiola went far beyond a simple conversation. Through some friends, the then-manager of Manchester City had expressed his interest in coaching a national team. Maldini and his companions traveled to Barcelona to meet with the coach. They shared a lunch and spent the entire day discussing the Italian project.
“He was very tempted. He was on the verge of accepting. He even started writing out lineups on a piece of paper,” Maldini recounted.
The former executive also ruled out the idea that money was an obstacle for Guardiola. As he explained, the coach had even suggested taking a lower salary than his predecessor.
“Money has never been an issue. Pep told us clearly: ‘Give me one euro less than what the previous coach earned, and that’s enough for me,’” Maldini said.
However, fatigue ultimately proved to be the deciding factor. Maldini explained that Guardiola was coming off ten grueling years in the Premier League and had also undergone back surgery.
“Guardiola is coming off ten exhausting years in the Premier League. He had back surgery. He wants to rest,” he explained.
According to Maldini, the conversation was serious and also included an analysis of the various age groups of the Italian national teams, from the U-17s onward.
Ultimately, Giovanni Malagó, president of the Italian Football Federation, selected Roberto Mancini as head coach.