Italy approached Carlo Ancelotti to become their national team manager before holding talks with Pep Guardiola. The Azzurri have been without a head coach since Gennaro Gattuso resigned in April following the country's failure to qualify for a third successive World Cup. But on Thursday, FIGC technical director Paolo Maldini said Italy first approached their former player Ancelotti, who is currently in charge of Brazil. "We cannot hide the fact that we also spoke to Carlo before talking to Pep," said Maldini during a news conference. Ancelotti, a former team-mate of Maldini for both Italy and AC Milan, took charge of Brazil in 2025 and extended his contract in May until the 2030 World Cup.