Pep Guardiola has held talks about becoming Italy's next head coach, Italian Football Federation president Giovanni Malago has confirmed. Financial “exceptions” are in place to allow Pep Guardiola to become Italy’s next head coach, the president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Giovanni Malago, has said.
"There are certain financial aspects to be considered, and it's an understatement to say we'd have to grit our teeth for this," Malago explained. "Some exceptions have been made, for example exceptions that regard the name making such waves at the moment: Pep Guardiola. "I don't need to sit here and explain the obvious reasons why he'd be an exception, but that is also no guarantee that this will go through." Malago added: "I think it was right and important to open a dialogue and keep it alive."
Guardiola reportedly earned an eye-watering £20million per year at City. That's a far cry from the modest £680,000 salary which Gennaro Gattuso signed up to before his departure in May following Italy's World Cup play-off failure.