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Pep Guardiola has officially turned down an offer from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to coach the national team.
Following direct talks with newly appointed technical director Maldini, the Catalan manager gave serious consideration to the proposal after choosing to step down from Manchester City following a decorated ten-year tenure.
Ultimately, Guardiola resolved to honour his initial plan of taking a sabbatical from management to spend quality time with his family, as sports journalist Fabrizio Romano reported.
Beyond his desire for a break, Guardiola harboured doubts over the nature of international management, which relies heavily on remote scouting rather than daily pitch-side activity.
Pep Guardiola stated: “Thank you, I am honoured, but at this moment I don’t feel up to it.”
The 55-year-old managed Manchester City from 2016 to 2026, guiding the club to six Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League trophy, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, the FA Community Shield, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World
Cup.According to sports journalist Guillaume Pacini, Andrea Pirlo is now the front-runner to lead the Italian National Team in the eight-to-ten-year project proposed by Maldini and advisor Leonardo to rebuild the foundations of Italian football.
