Maldini was hired alongside his advisor Leonardo and initially identified Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola as their primary targets for the Azzurri bench.
A lot of emphasis was put on the fact that Maldini and Leonardo would have chosen the new Italy coach.
The trip to Barcelona to convince Guardiola was not successful, but Boban is not surprised.
“The fact that he [Guardiola] didn’t feel up to it is crucial,” he told Gazzetta.
“It would probably be frustrating for him not to work on the pitch every day. I know Guardiola has enormous respect for Maldini, but he understood it wasn’t the right time. We should all thank him; throughout his coaching career, he has given so much to football.”
Maldini’s alternative, Andrea Pirlo, had agreed terms, but his appointment was blocked by a political scandal concerning his role as a brand ambassador for a Russian betting company.
Maldini felt his decision-making autonomy had been undermined, with Pirlo’s scandal blown out of proportion to have an excuse to appoint someone else. Therefore, Boban doesn’t see much responsibility on Maldini for how things went.
“It depends on what the agreements were and who betrayed them. Certainly not Paolo…,” he said.
“As a coach, Pirlo hasn’t had much success, but he knows what the national team means. He’s not stupid, and players see a footballing genius in him, which hasn’t been understood. A director makes choices and takes responsibility for them.”