Guardiola Turns Down Italy Job as Pirlo Emerges as Top Candidate

(Pep Guardiola. Photo by Leadership News)

The opportunity to lead the Italian national team has been declined by Pep Guardiola.

Giovanni Malago, president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), stated earlier this week that negotiations had taken place with Guardiola, who departed Manchester City this summer after ten years, and that “exceptions” could be made for his remuneration.

Paolo Maldini, the technical director of the FIGC, stated on Thursday that Italy initially made contact with Carlo Ancelotti, their former player and current manager of Brazil.

According to reports online, Carlo Ancelotti has agreed to stay in his current post, and Pep Guardiola has now informed the FIGC that he intends to proceed with his plan to take a break from football, allowing him to rest, spend more time with his family and travel.

The report noted that in addition to offering a substantial salary, the FIGC had effectively given Guardiola the freedom to shape the role as he saw fit, in a bid to lure one of the game’s most successful coaches to take charge of a side that has failed to qualify for three consecutive World Cups.

However, after taking time to weigh the offer, he ultimately turned it down.

As a result, former Italy playmaker Andrea Pirlo, currently head coach of Dubai-based United FC, has emerged as the frontrunner to take on the task of guiding Italy through a Nations League group featuring France, Belgium and Turkey in the autumn, before attempting to secure qualification for Euro 2028.