The president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Giovanni Malago, has confirmed that discussions have taken place with Pep Guardiola regarding the vacant head coach position for the Italy national team. Guardiola recently concluded a successful 10-year tenure with Manchester City, departing at the end of last season.
Malago indicated that financial “exceptions” could be made for Guardiola’s potential salary, acknowledging the high profile of the former City manager. These comments were made in an interview with Italian digital sports media platform Cronache di spogliatoio, and also reported by Gazzetta dello Sport.
Guardiola’s post-City career and Italy’s search
Guardiola’s departure from Manchester City in May marked the end of a highly successful period where he secured six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups, and the Champions League. His time at City followed similarly trophy-laden spells with Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
The Italy national team has been without a head coach since Gennaro Gattuso resigned in April. Gattuso’s resignation followed the country’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, a significant setback for the four-time champions.
Reports of contact between the FIGC and the 55-year-old Guardiola first emerged on Monday via Sky Italia. While Malago confirmed the talks, he also stated that it is “not certain that this thing will go through.”
Guardiola has never managed a national team or in Italy, but he is fluent in Italian. He also spent two seasons playing in Serie A between 2001 and 2003, with two stints at Brescia and one at Roma.
Other candidates and historical context
Beyond Guardiola, other candidates are reportedly being considered for the role. These include former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini, who led Italy to Euro 2020 glory five years ago. Another name in contention is former midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who currently manages Dubai United.
When asked if Guardiola, Mancini, and Pirlo were the only individuals on the shortlist, Malago responded, “Absolutely not. We think about a certain profile and certainly these names fall into that category.” This suggests a broader search for a suitable candidate to lead the national team.
Historically, Italy’s men’s national team has almost exclusively been managed by Italians. There have only been two exceptions: Hungarian Lajos Czeizler, who was part of the technical committee in the 1950s, and Argentine Helenio Herrera, who was joint manager with Italian Ferruccio Valcareggi in the following decade.
The appointment of a new national coach is seen as a crucial initial step in addressing the challenges facing Italian football. The sport has reportedly reached a low point in nearly 40 years, marked by an early exit from European club competitions last season and the failure to qualify for the World Cup. The focus is on overhauling the youth and talent infrastructure.
If Guardiola were to be named Italy head coach, it would mark a swift return to football for him. Upon leaving Manchester City, he expressed feeling “so tired,” noting that the memories from his 10 years at City were more profound than those from his time at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Italy’s next fixture is a Nations League Group A match against Belgium on 25 September.
Source: bbc.com
