Paolo Maldini has offered a fascinating account of the FIGC’s ambitious attempt to appoint Pep Guardiola, revealing that the Catalan great came extremely close to taking charge of Italy. Despite the legendary defender’s efforts to bring the former Manchester City manager to the Coverciano training centre, the move eventually broke down at the final stage.

The secret lunch in Barcelona

In a wide-ranging and explosive interview with Corriere della Sera, Maldini opened up about his brief spell as technical director of the FIGC. The AC Milan icon said one of his main goals was to bring Guardiola to the Italy bench, in what would have been a stunning move in international football. Maldini recalled a crucial meeting in Catalonia where, along with former sporting director Leonardo, the groundwork for what could have become a historic appointment was discussed in great detail.

Maldini explained how far the talks had progressed, saying: “He had expressed the idea of wanting to coach a national team to a few friends of his. We went to visit him in Barcelona, we had lunch together, we talked for a whole day. He was very tempted. He came very close to accepting. He even started writing formations down on pieces of paper.”

The truth behind the salary demands

Although rumours at the time claimed Guardiola’s salary demands were the main obstacle for the FIGC, Maldini dismissed the suggestion that money had anything to do with the Spaniard’s final decision. Reports in Italy had previously suggested that the master tactician was asking for a huge salary of €20 million per season. But Maldini explained that the financial side was actually the simplest part of the discussions, with Guardiola showing notable flexibility over what he would earn.

Responding directly to the salary rumours, Maldini gave a firm denial: “Absolutely not. Money was never an issue. Pep told us clearly: Give me one euro less than what the previous coach took and I’m fine.”

The mental toll of the Premier League

Maldini then explained why the agreement ultimately collapsed. He pointed instead to a far more human reason: the heavy physical and mental strain of spending a decade at the very top of club football. After dominating the Premier League with Manchester City, the demands of the role had clearly taken a toll on Guardiola. His need for a complete break from the touchline became the decisive factor, outweighing both his interest in the Italy job and the tactical planning he had already begun.

“Because of exhaustion,” Maldini said when asked why the move did not happen. “Guardiola is coming off the back of 10 gruelling years in the Premier League. He’s had back surgery, he wants to rest. But it was a very serious discussion, we studied the squads from the U17s upwards.”

Turning to Andrea Pirlo

With Guardiola no longer available, Maldini moved towards his former team-mate Andrea Pirlo. The idea was to give the national team a young and modern direction, with an emphasis on technical development rather than strict defensive football. However, the proposed appointment faced strong opposition, in part because of controversy linked to Pirlo’s commercial connections with Russian betting companies.

“We didn’t know about it. Public opinion has done its job. But, there was nothing on a legal level that would have prevented Andrea from becoming the head coach of the national team. It was definitely exaggerated in a certain way. Pirlo was willing to end his relations with the Russian betting company.”