Baldini: Roma wanted Guardiola

Roma general manager Franco Baldini has revealed that the club approached Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola over the off-season.

The Serie A club, fresh from their takeover by an American consortium led by Thomas Di Benedetto, were on the lookout for a new coach to replace Vincenzo Montella.

The capital club’s choice fell on Barcelona B coach Luis Enrique, but former England assistant Baldini – officially presented as Roma general manager on Friday – revealed that the club’s first choice was Guardiola.

“I obviously approached Guardiola,” Baldini said at a press conference. “I asked him if he wanted to move to Roma and he told me to wait some years.”

But Baldini took pains to praise Enrique, who has led Roma to 12th on the Serie A table after a slow start.

“I have liked Luis Enrique from the start,” Baldini said. “The facts have proved me right.”

“This is his first real coaching experience and he has to make his own mistakes: the true crime is not to make mistakes, but to not acknowledge them.”

“He will be a great coach, I wanted him to be that immediately, he has all the characteristics to become one. Now we have to provide him with the elements to succeed.”