"They said Pep was coming, now this is Pirlo?" Italian national team coach appointment imminent... Maldini pushes forward, fans explode in anger

*This content was translated by AI.

The final choice of the Italian national football team, which had been waiting for Pep Guardiola, was Andrea Pirlo. However, the local atmosphere is not entirely welcoming.

Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport reported on the 24th (Korea time) that "Pirlo has accepted the position of Italy national team head coach," adding that "after Guardiola rejected the offer, Paolo Maldini and Leonardo decided to entrust the coaching duties to the person they deemed most suitable for reviving the Italian national team."

Pirlo is expected to sign a four-year contract and lead the Italian national team through the 2030 FIFA World Cup. European transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano also reported Pirlo's appointment as Italy's national team coach on the same day. His annual salary is reportedly around 1.5 million euros (approximately 2.5 billion won).

Maldini, a legend of Italian football and one of the greatest defenders in world football history, was recently appointed as the director of the Italian national team. Leonardo also took on the role of technical advisor. The two were searching for a coach to lead the rebuilding of Italy's historic football program after three consecutive failures to qualify for the World Cup finals.

Initially, the top candidate was world-renowned manager Guardiola.

Reuters reported that "Giovanni Malago, president of the Italian Football Federation, indicated he would show flexibility in financial conditions, including salary, if a coach with a reputation like Guardiola's were to be appointed." This shows how strongly Italy hoped for Guardiola's appointment.

However, Guardiola, who led Manchester City until this summer, rejected Italy's offer citing the need for rest.

Another renowned manager, Carlo Ancelotti, was also mentioned as a candidate but reportedly showed little interest in the Italian national team head coach position. Ancelotti is leading the Brazilian national team and will participate in the 2026 North American World Cup.

In the end, Maldini and Leonardo turned their attention to Pirlo. According to 'Gazzetta dello Sport', Pirlo and Maldini share a close relationship. The two played together for the Italian national team and AC Milan during their playing careers. Maldini had also considered appointing Pirlo as coach when he worked as an AC Milan director in the past. The media stated, "The two are still in frequent contact."

Experienced Italian-born coaches such as Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini appear to have been far from what Maldini and Leonardo were looking for in a head coach.

'Gazzetta dello Sport' explained that "it is practically impossible to ask for a coach with rich experience and a strong personality like Conte or Mancini to think in the same way as the new leadership," and added, "they decided it would be better to choose someone young who advocates modern football and can accept advice and opinions when necessary."

However, while Pirlo was a world-class midfielder during his playing days, his coaching career remains underwhelming. He currently manages Dubai United in the UAE's second division league.

Pirlo began his coaching career in 2020 as the head coach of Juventus' Under-23 team and soon moved up to lead the Juventus first team. Although he led the team to victories in the Coppa Italia and the Italian Super Cup, he received heavy criticism for failing to meet expectations in Serie A. Ultimately, he stepped down after just one season.

He later managed Fatih Karagümrük (Turkey) and Sampdoria but left both teams without achieving significant results.

Gazzetta stated, "Pirlo's coaching career is not impressive. However, Maldini has always believed that Pirlo possesses a special football vision. Now they are ready to bet on that potential."

It further pointed out, "Some have criticized Pirlo for lacking the strong personality needed to control the squad. The Italian national team locker room is by no means an easy place to manage."

Nevertheless, it added, "Malago, president of the Italian Football Federation, believes that Maldini and Leonardo can compensate for this issue," explaining, "They are prepared to respond strongly if any player challenges Pirlo's authority."

Italy is a traditional football powerhouse that has won the World Cup four times in total. However, after reaching the summit at the 2006 Germany World Cup, it gradually lost its competitiveness and failed to qualify for the finals of three consecutive tournaments: the 2018 Russia tournament, the 2022 Qatar tournament, and now the upcoming 2026 North American tournament.

Italy last appeared in a World Cup final tournament at the 2014 Brazil tournament. Pirlo's first task is to lead Italy back to the World Cup finals in 2030, marking their return to the global stage after 16 years.

However, Maldini is looking further ahead. Gazzetta reported that "Maldini is planning a long-term project," stating, "He believes the rebuilding of Italian football must start with youth players aged 12 to 13 and will take 8 to 10 years to complete the entire process."

The Federal Council of the Italian Football Federation is scheduled to meet next week. However, regulations do not require official approval from the Federal Council for the appointment of a national team head coach.

The media added, "The Federal Council will only go through a procedure to hear opinions," noting, "This day could be a good time to announce Pirlo's appointment. Pirlo is expected to sign a contract until the 2030 World Cup."

Reuters also stated, "Italian football is currently experiencing one of the most serious crises in recent decades," and explained that "the new appointment of a national team head coach is seen as the first step in a broad reconstruction effort to rebuild the severely weakened youth development and talent identification system."

It further reported, "In Italy, where football stirs national passion, Pirlo is expected to take on the heavy task of not only restoring the national team's performance but also revitalizing the country's entire football system."

However, the reaction from Italian football fans has been poor. Italy's SportMediaset conducted a survey regarding candidates for the Italian national team head coach position. Among more than 30,000 participants, Pirlo received only 2%, placing him last among six candidates. Guardiola secured 45%, Ancelotti 28%, and Conte 15%, taking the top three spots. Mancini and Stefano Pioli each received 5%.

SportMediaset pointed out, "Maldini's choice has divided Italy. Fans and critics are negative about Pirlo's appointment."

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*This content was translated by AI.