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Italy courts Guardiola
Italy’s football federation has held talks with Pep Guardiola to try to persuade him to become Italy’s next head coach after Gennaro Gattuso left following Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time.
“Pep Guardiola has had huge success managing in Spain, Germany and England – could Italy be next”
Paolo Maldini, the new technical director of the FIGC, and his advisor Leonardo traveled to Barcelona to hold face-to-face talks with Guardiola, with the talks described as lasting over three days.
The FIGC’s effort is framed as a bid to convince Guardiola to take over the “Azzurri” project, with Sky Sports Italia reporting that Maldini and Leonardo spoke with Guardiola over three days explaining their project for the Italian national team.
Guardiola, who left Manchester City at the end of the 2025-26 campaign after a decade at the helm, has repeatedly insisted he is enjoying his sabbatical and has no immediate plans to return to management.
In the middle of the search, other names including Roberto Mancini and Andrea Pirlo are also linked with the vacancy as Italy weigh options while waiting for Guardiola’s decision.
Guardiola’s break and Malagò
Guardiola’s own statements are central to the uncertainty, with Sky Sports quoting him saying, "No plans for [coaching] for a while. Otherwise I would be here. I need to step back."
In the same Sky Sports account, Guardiola added that he does not expect to have the energy to meet the daily demands of fighting for titles, saying, "I feel I will not have it [in the future]."
FIGC president Giovanni Malagò, speaking to Sky Sport Italy, said the appointment is only days away and urged patience, telling viewers, "Just a few more days' patience,".
Malagò also insisted that the federation’s decision-making is constrained by budget realities, saying, "what are his demands? And are they compatible with our accounts?"
Even as Guardiola remains a frontrunner in some reports, Malagò said the race is not limited to the names already circulating, with the FIGC keeping other candidates in view.
What’s at stake for Italy
Italy’s push for a new head coach is tied to a broader shake-up after missing out on qualification for a third consecutive World Cup, with Gennaro Gattuso’s exit described as part of a wider overhaul.
“The Italian national team has already begun its full renewal process within the squad with the aim of competing again at the highest level in international football”
The FIGC’s plan is presented as extending beyond the senior team, with the Independent en Español report saying Sky Italia informed that the FIGC presented Guardiola with a project of four years.
In that same Spanish-language report, Guardiola is said to prioritize the sporting project over the economic aspect when deciding his next destination, while the FIGC continues efforts to convince him.
Meanwhile, Sky Sports frames Guardiola’s potential return to management as a question of whether he wants the job, listing Roberto Mancini and Andrea Pirlo as other candidates while noting Guardiola is out of work after leaving Man City.
With Italy’s next matches in the Nations League described as being in Group A1 alongside France, Belgium and Turkiye, the federation’s choice of head coach is positioned as a near-term decision that will shape how the “Azzurri” move forward.
