In an interview with Sport Mediaset, former Juventus midfielder and current commentator Alessio Tacchinardi expressed his surprise at Maldini and Leonardo's decision to hand over the Italian national team coaching position to Pirlo, which Guardiola declined at the last minute.
Taquinadi then said: "Paolo Maldini and Leonardo have taken on a lot of responsibility. To be honest, I would prefer to see someone like Pep Guardiola on our coaching bench. I know he was attracted by the opportunity to coach Italy, and if it were him, he would be the most suitable person to reignite the passion of the Italian team."
Taquinadi added, "We've all seen how intense the emotions the World Cup can be: joy, sadness, anticipation, disappointment... We haven't felt these emotions in a long time. Twelve years is a really long time, so I think Guardiola is the most suitable candidate. But then again, I still want to send my best wishes to Andrea and always support the Azzurri."
