Maldini reveals how close Pep Guardiola came to becoming Italy coach

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Paolo Maldini has revealed fascinating details about Italy's search for a new national team coach, claiming that Pep Guardiola was genuinely interested in taking the job before the Italian Football Federation eventually chose Roberto Mancini.

The legendary former Milan and Italy defender had been brought into the FIGC project with a clear task: help identify a coach capable of giving the national team a new football identity after years of disappointing results.

Maldini took the assignment seriously. His most ambitious call went directly to Guardiola.

The Spaniard had ended his extraordinary spell at Manchester City after almost a decade in England, and Maldini believed the timing offered Italy a unique opportunity.

Guardiola came to the meeting prepared

According to Maldini, this was far more than an exploratory conversation.

The two met for lunch, and Guardiola arrived with ideas about how he could transform Italy.

"The idea was an attacking style of football. Pep and I had lunch and he was very interested. He had already drawn up different formations on paper and told me that he would accept the job even for a lower salary than his predecessors."

Money, Maldini claims, was never the decisive issue.

"He didn't care about the money and changed his mind mainly because of the back surgery."

For a period, therefore, one of the most successful coaches of his generation was seriously considering becoming Italy's national team coach.

Guardiola ultimately stepped away, forcing Maldini and the federation to consider alternatives.

Maldini wanted something new

The former Milan captain explained that the original project focused on a younger coach with modern and attacking ideas.

Daniele De Rossi and Fabio Grosso were considered, but FIGC president ruled them out because they were already under contract with clubs.

Attention then turned towards Andrea Pirlo.

"Then we talked about Pirlo, when we didn't know about the situation with the Russian bookmakers. There were no legal obstacles. Andrea was ready to end his cooperation with the Russians, but the public doesn't care about that."

According to Maldini, this was the moment when his relationship with the federation began to collapse.

'I don't know why they hired me'

Maldini claims the FIGC president eventually informed him and Leonardo that Pirlo would not be appointed either.

More importantly, the federation president decided to take control of the appointment himself.

"The president then called me and Leonardo and told us that we couldn't even bring in Pirlo and that he would decide who would become the coach himself. I find that unacceptable."

Maldini was particularly frustrated because he felt the federation had effectively ignored the project he had been hired to develop.

"I don't know why they hired me at all when they already had their two main favorites."

The outcome was the return of Roberto Mancini, while Maldini once again found himself outside the Italian football establishment.

Maldini respects Mancini, but wanted a different direction

Maldini stressed that his disappointment should not be interpreted as a personal attack on Mancini.

"I appreciate and respect Roberto Mancini, but we wanted something new, fresh."

He also rejected the argument that Italy needed an established international coach with a long list of achievements.

"What kind of CV did Luis de la Fuente and Lionel Scaloni have before?"

Both coaches became world-class success stories at international level despite lacking the kind of elite coaching résumé traditionally associated with the biggest national teams.

Maldini wanted Italy to make a similarly bold choice.

Instead, FIGC returned to Mancini.

Yet Maldini's revelation leaves Italian supporters with a fascinating question: what might Italy have looked like under Pep Guardiola?