Rabat – Italy’s football federation president, Giovanni Malagò, has confirmed holding talks with Pep Guardiola in a bid to hire him to the Italian national team’s side, saying that financial exceptions would be made for the former Manchester City boss.
The talks were revealed in an interview with the website “Cronache di Spogliatoio” (Dressing Room Chronicles), published on Wednesday. Malagò was asked whether the club would be willing to increase the coach’s salary budget to bring in Guardiola. “Yes, and he would be the exception for obvious reasons,” he replied.
“I won’t go into detail here, but it’s not certain that this appointment will happen. However, I still believe it was the right thing to do, as it was important to open a dialogue and keep it alive.”
The Spanish coach has managed top European clubs, including Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, winning several domestic league titles and the UEFA Champions League. Known for his possession-based style and tactical approach, Guardiola is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in modern football.
Guardiola also has a strong connection with Italian football, having played for Brescia and AS Roma during his career as a midfielder. His time in Italy exposed him to a different style of football and allowed him to work under respected coaches such as Carlo Mazzone and Fabio Capello.
