"Thank you, I'm honored. But at the moment, I don't feel up to the task." That was Pep Guardiola closing the door on Italy — and it opened one for Andrea Pirlo.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport and La Repubblica, the 47-year-old former playmaker is set to sign a four-year contract as Squadra Azzurra head coach, with an annual salary of over €1.5 million plus bonuses. His target: the 2030 World Cup. Pirlo is currently still contracted to United FC Dubai in the UAE, but that hasn't slowed negotiations with FIGC president Giovanni Malagò and newly appointed technical director Paolo Maldini.
The job no one's managing to fix
Let's be clear about what Pirlo is walking into. Italy has missed three consecutive World Cups. Three. For a nation with four titles, that's not a rough patch — it's a structural problem. Gennaro Gattuso, who played alongside Pirlo in the 2006 triumph, just resigned after the latest qualification failure.
Pirlo's coaching record doesn't exactly inspire confidence. His stint at Juventus ended after one season. Sampdoria was no better. The name carries weight; the CV doesn't — yet. Anyone pricing Italy to qualify for the 2026 World Cup should factor in that this will be Pirlo's first international job, managing a squad in genuine identity crisis.
Roberto Mancini, who won Euro 2020 with this group, was another candidate in the frame. But his decision to bolt for Saudi Arabia in 2023 — mid-cycle — left a sour taste that apparently hasn't faded.
What Pirlo brings beyond the legend
There's a reason the FIGC didn't just hand this to the nearest available Serie A coach. Pirlo has 116 caps, was the creative engine of Italy's 2006 World Cup win, and carries a cultural authority that few Italian coaches can claim. Germans in particular will remember him from that semifinal — his assist for Fabio Grosso's goal deep in extra time sent Italy to the final. He knows what it means to win in this shirt.
Whether that translates to the dugout is the real question. The contract hasn't been formally signed yet, and there's been no official FIGC confirmation. Until there is, nothing is done.
