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The Italian soccer federation (FIGC) has talked to former Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola and Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti about taking over the crisis-hit national team.
It hopes to announce the new Italy coach within the week, with the Azzurri still reeling after failing for a third straight time to qualify for the World Cup.
Former Italy and AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini was named as the federation’s new technical director at the start of the month and was present at a meeting with the Serie A clubs on Thursday, along with new FIGC president Giovanni Malagò and special advisor Leonardo.
“Honestly, today we can’t give news about what’s happening. You’ve identified one of our targets,” Maldini said when asked about Guardiola in a news conference after the meeting.
“We can’t hide that we also talked with Carlo Ancelotti before talking with Pep. Honestly, it seemed right to start with the best in the world, to see their general availability.”
Guardiola left Man City at the end of last season, bringing to a close a trophy-laden, 10-year spell in which he established City as a force in Europe and changed the face of English soccer.
The 55-year-old Guardiola has won 35 major titles across his coaching career including at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Maldini and Leonardo spent three days in Barcelona recently to speak with Guardiola about taking the Italy job.
“The best thing would be to announce the new coach this week, but even more to wait for the person we really want,” Maldini said. “So there’s urgency, but not so much inside us.”
Ancelotti signed a contract extension with Brazil in May through to the 2030 World Cup. But the five-time world champion just had one of its worst ever performances on soccer’s biggest stage as it was eliminated in the round of 16 after a 2-1 loss to Norway.
The 67-year-old Ancelotti has won league titles in Italy, England, France, Spain and Germany. He is also the only coach to have won the Champions League five times.
Four-time champion Italy missed out on a third straight World Cup after a playoff loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March, prompting the resignations of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and coach Gennaro Gattuso.
Gattuso had taken over from the fired Luciano Spalletti only the previous June with the squad already flailing following a defeat at Norway in its opening qualifier.
Former Italy coaches Roberto Mancini — who led the Azzurri to the European Championship in 2021 — and Antonio Conte are also among the favorites to take charge of the national team. Andrea Pirlo, who helped Italy to the World Cup in 2006 as a player, is also reportedly in contention.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
