Guardiola Turns Down Offer to Coach Italy

The new leaders of the FIGC, the Italian Football Association, made it abundantly clear that Pep Guardiola was their no.1 target for the Azzurri bench, but it didn't suffice to persuade him to take the job and abruptly end his sabbatical, Gianluca Di Marzio reports.

According to Corriere della Sera, Paolo Maldini and Leonardo spent last weekend in Barcelona to talk with the gaffer and sell him on their project. President Giovanni Malagò suggested that there wouldn't be economic issues if he accepted. However, the gaffer stuck with his plan to take some time off after the end of his Manchester City reign.