Guardiola meets Maldini and Leonardo in Barcelona to discuss Italy job
Quick summary
Pep Guardiola held talks with Italian football figures Paolo Maldini and Leonardo in Barcelona about potentially taking the Italy national team manager position.
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Attributed to original sourceItaly’s new-look federation is making a genuine attempt to lure Pep Guardiola into the national team dugout, with Paolo Maldini and Leonardo having met the Catalan coach in person over the weekend.
According to Sky Sport, via CalcioMercato , the two FIGC executives flew to Barcelona and held direct talks with the former Manchester City boss to sound him out about the head coach role.
The meeting is said to have run across the entire weekend, with the pair’s presence in Spain captured in social-media selfies and snaps. The substance and outcome of the discussions have been kept under wraps, but a concrete approach has clearly been made.
Manchester City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the UEFA Champions League, league phase football match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Etihad stadium, in Manchester, north-west England, on September 18, 2024 (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images) Malagò holds the key as Guardiola talks raise the stakes The decisive factor now lies with Giovanni Malagò, who will have to sanction a far heavier financial commitment than the federation has so far been willing to make.
Speaking to Sky Sport, the FIGC president had earlier confirmed the existence of alternatives to Roberto Mancini and Andrea Pirlo while stressing the budgetary constraints, comments that read very differently in light of the Barcelona summit.
“Beyond Mancini and Pirlo there could be other names,” Malagò said. “To those who say take a big shot, I say , even if he were interested, what are his demands? And are they compatible with our accounts? On the books I have the sum left from Gattuso’s salary, a thousand miles from any wishes of the big shot.” Any such outlay, he suggested, could only be feasible in the 2027 financial year.
The revelation reframes what had appeared a two-man race. Where Mancini and Pirlo represent attainable, budget-conscious options, the pursuit of Guardiola, one of the game’s most decorated and expensive coaches, signals genuine ambition from Maldini and Leonardo, even if squaring it with the federation’s finances remains a formidable obstacle.
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What happened
Pep Guardiola, currently manager of Manchester City, met with Italian football legends Paolo Maldini and Leonardo in Barcelona to discuss the possibility of becoming the next Italy national team head coach. The meeting comes as the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) searches for a new manager following the departure of Luciano Spalletti. Maldini and Leonardo are influential figures in Italian football and their involvement suggests they may be advocating for or facilitating the approach. Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, making the managerial appointment a high-profile decision for the federation.
Chance analysis
This is a significant managerial story with major implications for both Manchester City and the Italian national team. Guardiola remains under contract at City, and any move would require compensation negotiations. For Italy, hiring a coach of Guardiola's caliber would be a statement of intent to rebuild after failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The involvement of Maldini and Leonardo adds credibility and political weight to the approach. For City, losing Guardiola would be transformational, though such speculation has circulated before without materializing.
If confirmed, Guardiola leaving City would be a seismic managerial change with major tactical and competitive implications for both Manchester City and the Italy national team.
Guardiola-to-Italy remains speculative but credible; treat as low-probability event for prediction systems until official confirmation.