Legendary Italian midfielder takes over the Azzurri based on a verbal agreement, with a four-year contract expected in the coming days. Pirlo arrives from the UAE, where he has coached Dubai United since last summer.
Andrea Pirlo is set to become the new head coach of the Italian national football team. Renowned football insider Fabrizio Romano announced on July 24, 2026, on platform X that Pirlo has accepted a verbal proposal from the Italian federation and will sign a contract in the coming days, pending formal steps.
"Andrea Pirlo accepts the verbal proposal and will soon become Italy's new head coach. Pirlo said 'yes' to the long-term project presented to him by Paolo Maldini and Leonardo. He will sign a contract soon, pending formal steps."
New technical director of the Italian federation Paolo Maldini, himself a legend of Italian and world football, was a key figure in the negotiations. Together with Leonardo, Maldini presented a long-term project to Pirlo, with the offer including a four-year contract. According to 24sata, Maldini initially hoped for Carlo Ancelotti on the Azzurri bench, but the experienced coach turned down the offer. The name of Pep Guardiola, who left Manchester City, was also mentioned as a possible candidate, but according to Romano's reporting, nothing will come of that either.
The position of head coach opened up after the departure of Gennaro Gattuso, who failed to lead Italy to this year's World Cup. Gattuso, a former teammate of Pirlo in both the national team and at club level, is known to the Croatian public for his brief stint as Hajduk's coach. The failure in World Cup qualification was the decisive reason for his departure from the head coach role.
Andrea Pirlo built his coaching career gradually, with mixed results. He got his first major coaching opportunity at Juventus, where he spent one season. After that, he coached Turkish side Fatih Karagümrük and Italian club Sampdoria. Since the summer of 2025, he has been working in the United Arab Emirates as the coach of Dubai United, from where he is now expected to move to one of the most prestigious coaching positions in European football.
As a player, Pirlo was one of the most respected midfielders of his generation. He won league titles with Milan and Juventus, and with the Italian national team, he won the World Cup in 2006. Now he is being given the opportunity to lead that same team as head coach, with the aim of recovery after missing the World Cup. The formal signing of the contract is expected in the coming days, and there has been no official confirmation from the Italian federation yet.
