Italy Set to Appoint Pirlo After Guardiola and Ancelotti Decline

The Italian Football Federation is close to appointing Andrea Pirlo as the new head coach of the senior national team, having opened formal negotiations that have led to a preliminary agreement on a four-year contract until 2030, following the rejections from Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti for the position. Reports indicate that the official announcement is just a matter of time after final procedures are completed.

The Italian Football Federation had placed Guardiola at the top of their list of candidates to lead the Azzurri, but the Spanish coach declined the position, expressing a desire for a break and to focus on his family following his lengthy tenure at Manchester City.

The Saudi Arabian federation received an apology from Carlo Ancelotti, who preferred to continue with his current project, prompting officials to turn to Andrea Pirlo as their primary option.

Andrea Pirlo, the 2006 World Cup champion with Italy, has a coaching experience that began with Juventus, where he led the team to win the Coppa Italia and the Italian Super Cup, before taking on roles with Turkish side Fatih Karagümrük, Sampdoria, and Dubai United in the UAE. The Italian Football Federation believes that Pirlo possesses the character and football identity necessary to lead the project of rebuilding the national team.

The Italian Football Federation hopes that Andrea Pirlo will lead a new era that brings the national team back to its place among the world's top teams, following a series of failures, the latest being their absence from the 2026 World Cup.

The new coach is expected to start his role following the official announcement, preparing for upcoming challenges. This includes the UEFA Nations League and the qualifiers for the 2030 World Cup.