paris, Jul 23
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has met with Pep Guardiola to convince him to take over as national team head coach and is willing to make an “exceptional” adjustment to its budget to hire him.
FIGC officials Paolo Maldini and adviser Leonardo met with the former Manchester City manager over three days, explaining their project for the national team moving forward.
It remains to be seen if Guardiola takes up the assignment, but the FIGC is making concrete attempts to bring him in as the national team’s manager.
Speaking to Sky in Italy, Italian FA president Giovanni Malago said: “In the short to medium term, saying we need to tighten our belts is an understatement. “However, exceptions have been made, which may concern the name that is so dominant these days.”
In their discussions in Barcelona, Maldini and Leonardo presented an idea that goes beyond simply offering Guardiola a coaching role.
“This (talks with Guardiola) is by no means a lack of respect towards other candidates, with whom discussions have already begun, and adding another name would in no way detract from the process,” Malago said. “There are also financial and budgetary considerations…”
In the new FIGC’s vision, Guardiola would be the central figure in an ‘Azzurro project’ that aims to rebuild Italian football on solid foundations. The four-time champions last won the World Cup in 2006.
It would be a complete overhaul that would involve not only the senior national team but all other age-group teams as well. The Catalonian has listened attentively to Maldini and Leonardo’s offer and is now awaiting his response.
Other candidates for the role are Roberto Mancini and Andrea Pirlo.
Malagó, however, said that Guardiola, Mancini and Pirlo are not the only candidates being considered.
The FIGC brought in Maldini and Leonardo as part of a huge shake-up in Italian football following their failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. Their task was to find a successor to Gennaro Gattuso, who left his role after missing out on qualification for the just-concluded tournament in North America. Winning the European Championships in 2021 under Mancini was their last major triumph.
The men’s team has been managed by an Italian throughout its history except for two occasions.
Guardiola, 55, has often expressed his desire to coach a national team at a major tournament before he retires. He has already had a glittering coaching career, with spells in charge of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City.
He had earlier said that he wants to take a sabbatical after coaching City since 2016.
