Guardiola Turns Down Offer to Coach Italy | OneFootball

The new leaders of the FIGC, the Italian Football Association, made it abundantly clear that Pep Guardiola was their no.1 target for the Azzurri bench, but it didn’t suffice to persuade him to take the job and abruptly end his sabbatical, Gianluca Di Marzio reports.

According to Corriere della Sera, Paolo Maldini and Leonardo spent last weekend in Barcelona to talk with the gaffer and sell him on their project. President Giovanni Malagò suggested that there wouldn’t be economic issues if he accepted. However, the gaffer stuck with his plan to take some time off after the end of his Manchester City reign.

The Italy officials had explained their long-term plan and that Guardiola would have been supported by a wide net of scouts and more directors. The former Milan defender stated that they spoke with Carlo Ancelotti as well. However, he’s set to stay at Brazil despite the early elimination from the recent World Cup, Matteo Moretto reports (via SOSFanta).

The Spanish boss would have commanded a large salary. However, rumors of a € 20M-per-year request were dismissed. The three decision-makers didn’t go into detail with the other candidates until the top one was in play.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Andrea Pirlo has an edge over Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini at the moment. Instead, Serie A is backing the former Napoli manager. The higher-ups attended the League’s meeting on Thursday.

Our Take on Italy and Guardiola

Malagò is well-known for convincing people with his spiel, but it wasn’t enough this time. It would have been a great feat, despite some legitimate reservations. When shooting that high, Pirlo can’t realistically be the main alternative.