Maldini: Guardiola Rejected Us Only Due to Fatigue; Pirlo's Rejection Was Merely a Pretext

After stepping down as technical director of the Italian Football Federation after just 16 days, Paolo Maldini gave an exclusive interview to Aldo Cazzullo, a journalist from Corriere della Sera. This article is the second part of that interview.

So, what was the actual situation when you approached Pep Guardiola?

He is the coach who best embodies technical and attacking football. He expressed his ideas about coaching the national team through some mutual friends. We visited him in Barcelona, had lunch together, and talked all day long. He was very enthusiastic at the time, almost ready to accept. He even started writing down a list of key players on a piece of paper...

Did he really demand 20 million euros?

Not at all. Money was never the issue. Pep explicitly told us: "Give me one euro less than the previous head coach, and I'll be satisfied."

Then why did he refuse?

Because of fatigue. Guardiola had ten difficult years in the Premier League, underwent back surgery, and now he wants proper rest. But this was a very serious discussion, and we carefully reviewed player lists across all age groups—starting from the U17s. Eventually, we settled on Andrea. Malagò was fully aware of this, and we kept him informed at every step.

But Pirlo isn't a proven winner?

That's purely my personal opinion. We initially wanted a young coach who could identify with our team-building philosophy and had a high-level professional track record. From a technical standpoint, I found Pirlo very well-prepared when I spoke with him. If he had a technical director and consultants to support and assist him, he would certainly be an ideal coaching candidate.

This isn't just my personal opinion: Pirlo took over Juventus during their nine consecutive Serie A titles, yet he finished fourth with the team, and his record elsewhere hasn't been ideal...

What about the second coaching jobs of the two coaches who led their teams to World Cup victories—Scaloni and De la Fuente—before that? If you only focus on coaches who have never sat on the bench, you can only see the present and never look to the future. We've experienced three regrettable failures to qualify.

I insist: 8 to 10 years is a long time...

This is the only place in Serie A where I've encountered some skepticism, but this timeline is based on our experience—not just from major countries like England, France, and Spain, but also from nations like Switzerland that have revitalized their football. This restructuring requires all stakeholders to work together, communicate with each other, and support one another.

The next World Cup is in four years...

And the European Championship begins in two years. I know that if we don't qualify, we'll be sacked. Perhaps that's unfair, but that's how it is. We need to win immediately, but we also need to prepare for the future.

How much did Pirlo's connection to that Russian betting company affect everything?

It certainly had an impact, and we weren't aware of it at the time. Public opinion played a role. But from a legal standpoint, nothing prevented Andrea from coaching the national team.

Was this just an excuse?

I believe so. Without question, it was exaggerated. Pirlo intended to sever ties with that Russian betting company. He is an honest and sincere person and shouldn't have faced such uproar. They raised questions about ethics and "matters of dignity," but if there had been genuine intent to have him sign the relevant documents as national team coach, there would have been no legal obstacle whatsoever.

So, what about the issue with your son Christian and Pirlo's son Niccolò? If you pursue a career as an agent, wouldn't that create a conflict of interest with your current position?

We need to address this as well. Although no one said it publicly, the rule was actually abolished in 2019. From a legal standpoint, there is absolutely nothing preventing our sons from becoming agents—Christian's current role is as a talent scout—nor is there anything preventing me from being the national team's technical director, nor anything preventing Pirlo from coaching the national team. If it were truly proven that an irreconcilable conflict existed between my position and my son's profession, I would have resigned long ago. This entire matter is purely baseless; the FA leadership never provided an explanation, yet it had a significant impact.

What did Malagò say to you?

He called me and Leonardo and said: "I think Pirlo can't continue as coach. Starting today, I will decide who the coach is. Starting today, the rules have changed: I will make the final decision on the coach, and you just need to nod in agreement." But if I've been entrusted with responsibility, bearing a heavy burden, and intend to seriously fulfill that responsibility, such a statement is completely unacceptable. We gave ourselves 24 hours to think about it, and then we submitted our resignation—and our contract hadn't even been officially finalized yet. I don't know if this is stubbornness or arrogance, but I've always been accustomed to a different approach. At that point, we had lost the foundation of trust necessary to carry out this work—work that is both very difficult and very rewarding.

Where would you have started?

We had already begun taking action. We visited Coverciano, which is a stagnant machine. Too many people want to make a difference but don't know how. They were waiting for direction and guidance, and when we met them, they filled us with energy—despite how daunting the role itself is.

Did you really consider Thiago Motta?

No, the candidates were the ones mentioned previously.

What's wrong with Mancini? He was also a great player, and he won the European Championship!

Don't misunderstand—I have great respect for Roberto Mancini. But we had a different plan at that time; we wanted a new, younger head coach. Mancini and Conte are both excellent coaches; this is not a matter of friendship at all.

Now people call this "clique culture"...

I am indeed friends with Pirlo, and I'm also friends with Ancelotti. Of course, I'm also friends with Mancini and Conte—just in different ways. We've known each other for decades, both from playing against each other and fighting alongside each other on the national team. With Mancini, we reached the semi-finals of the 1988 European Championship—a tournament that featured Van Basten—and participated together in the 1990 World Cup in Italy. And when working with Conte, we reached the 1994 World Cup final and the 2000 European Championship final together. But I didn't choose my partners because they were my friends; I chose partners who, at this moment, seemed most capable of executing the project we intended to develop.

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