Real Madrid legend Ancelotti competes with Barcelona great Guardiola for the Italian job | Football News

Former Man City and Barca boss Pep Guardiola is no stranger to the Italian job, as Carlo Ancelotti approached.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has spoken to former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti to take over the embattled national team.

Hoping to announce a new Italian coach later in the week, the Azzurri are still reeling after failing to qualify for the World Cup for the third time.

The former defender of Italy and AC Milan Paolo Maldini was appointed as the new director of the federation at the beginning of the month and was present at the meeting with the Serie A clubs on Thursday, with the new president of the FIGC Giovanni Malago and the special adviser Leonardo.

“Honestly, we can’t talk about what’s going on. You’ve identified one of our goals,” Maldini said when asked about Guardiola in a post-match press conference.

“We cannot hide that we also spoke to Carlo Ancelotti before we spoke to Pep. To be honest, it felt good to start with the best in the world, to see all their presence.”

Guardiola left Man City at the end of last season, ending 10 years in which he established City as a force in Europe and changed the face of English football.

Guardiola, 55, has won 35 major titles during his coaching career, including at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

Maldini and Leonardo spent three days in Barcelona recently talking to Guardiola about taking a job in Italy.

“It would be good to announce a new coach this week, but it’s too much to wait for the person we want,” Maldini said. “So there is urgency, but not too much within us.”

Ancelotti signed a contract extension with Brazil in May until the 2030 World Cup, but the five-time world champion suffered one of the biggest setbacks in football’s biggest game when he was eliminated in the last 16 after losing 2-1 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 champions Italy missed out on a third consecutive World Cup after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March, prompting the resignation of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and coach Gennaro Gattuso.

Gattuso replaced Luciano Spalletti who was sacked last June as the club struggled after losing to Norway in their opening game.

Former Italian coach Roberto Mancini – who led the Azzurri to the European Championship in 2021 – and Antonio Conte are also among the favorites to manage the national team. Andrea Pirlo, who helped Italy win the World Cup in 2006 as a player, is also said to be in the running.