Pep Guardiola told Italy he would take one euro less than the previous coach’s salary. Paolo Maldini says the job came close, with a full day of talks in Barcelona and line-ups being written on paper, but the deal fell apart because Guardiola wanted rest after 10 gruelling years in the Premier League, not because the money was wrong.

The Barcelona talks

Maldini’s account makes the meeting sound far more serious than a casual chat. He says he and Guardiola spent a whole day talking in Barcelona and even started writing formations on paper, while the Italy staff studied squads from the under-17s upwards.

That is the part that stands out. Guardiola was not treating Italy as a passing option. Maldini said, “He is the coach who most embodies the technical and offensive game,” which is about as direct a stylistic fit as you can get.

The background from Manchester City makes the move easier to understand. Guardiola left behind a side that finished 2nd in the 2025 Premier League with 78 points and a +42 goal difference, and won 5 of 8 Champions League matches in 2025. He was walking away from an elite setup, which makes the scale of the Italian approach obvious.

Why Guardiola turned it down

The money was not the barrier. Guardiola’s line, as reported by mirror.co.uk, was simple: “Give me one euro less than what the last coach was earning and I am ready.” Maldini’s explanation is different and more persuasive, because it matches the rest of the story. “Because of tiredness. Guardiola comes from 10 gruelling years in the Premier League. He had back surgery, and he wants to rest,” Maldini said.

That is the clearest reading here. The offer sounded serious, the football project sounded attractive, and Guardiola still chose time away. Italy later moved on to A. Pirlo after Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti had turned the job down, which shows how wide the search had to go.

Maldini’s version is more convincing than any easy money narrative. This was a manager open to the idea, but not open enough to jump straight into another demanding job, and the talks in Barcelona never became an appointment.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →