Pep Guardiola has rejected the chance to become Italy head coach, Yankee Scores reports.
Sky in Italy reported that Pep Guardiola’s response to the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) was for personal reasons outside of football, on Thursday night.
The FIGC had previously held talks with Guardiola in an effort to convince him to replace Gennaro Gattuso as the head coach of the national team and were prepared to make an exceptional change to their budget to bring him in.
FIGC officials Paolo Maldini and his advisor Leonardo spent three days with Guardiola, outlining their vision for the national team in the future.
When Maldini and Leonardo spoke to the former Manchester City manager in Barcelona, they actually had an idea that was more than just offering him a coaching role.
From the FIGC’s point of view, Guardiola would have been the keystone of a ‘Azzurro project’ to rebuild Italian football on a sound basis. Italy didn’t even qualify for soccer’s expanded World Cup this summer.
It would have been a complete overhaul not only of the senior national side but all the national sides. It is understood that the Catalan listened with interest to the offer made by Maldini and Leonardo.
Roberto Mancini and Andrea Pirlo are thought to be alternative candidates for the job.
The FIGC brought in Maldini and Leonardo as part of a major shake-up in Italian football after they failed to qualify for a third straight World Cup.
