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The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has discussed the possibility of taking over the crisis-hit national team with former Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola and Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti.
He hopes to announce Italy’s new coach this week, with the Azzurri still reeling after failing to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row.
Former Italy and AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini was named the federation’s new technical director earlier this month and was present at a meeting with Serie A clubs on Thursday, alongside new FIGC president Giovanni Malagò and special advisor Leonardo.
“Honestly, today we cannot give any news of what is happening. You have identified one of our targets,” Maldini said, when asked about Guardiola at a press conference after the meeting.
“We can’t hide that we also spoke with Carlo Ancelotti before speaking with Pep. Honestly, it seemed right to start with the best in the world, to see their general availability.”
Guardiola left Man City at the end of last season, ending a trophy-laden 10-year spell in which he made City a force in Europe and changed the face of English football.
Guardiola, 55, won 35 major titles during his coaching career, including at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Maldini and Leonardo recently spent three days in Barcelona to discuss the possibility of taking the Italy job with Guardiola.
“The best thing would be to announce the new coach this week, but even more so to wait for the person we really want,” Maldini said. “So there is urgency, but not so much in us.”
Ancelotti signed a contract extension with Brazil in May until the 2030 World Cup. But the five-time world champion is coming off one of his worst performances ever on football’s biggest stage by being eliminated in the round of 16 after a 2-1 loss to Norway.
Ancelotti, 67, has won league titles in Italy, England, France, Spain and Germany. He is also the only coach to have won the Champions League five times.
Four-time champions Italy missed a third consecutive World Cup after a playoff defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina in March, prompting the resignations of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and coach Gennaro Gattuso.
Gattuso took over from the dismissed Luciano Spalletti last June, when the team was already struggling after a defeat against Norway in the opening match of qualifying.
Former Italian coaches Roberto Mancini – who led the Azzurri to the European Championship in 2021 – and Antonio Conte are also among the favorites to take charge of the national team. Andrea Pirlo, who helped Italy win the World Cup in 2006 as a player, is also believed to be in the running.
Associated Press reporting.
