The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has taken a bold step by sitting down with Pep Guardiola in an effort to persuade him to become the head coach of the national side, and the organisation says it is ready to make an extraordinary modification to its financial plan to bring him on board. Over a three‑day series of meetings, FIGC officials Paolo Maldini and his adviser Leonardo presented Guardiola with a detailed vision for the future of Italy’s national teams, outlining a comprehensive overhaul that would go far beyond a simple coaching appointment. According to FIGC president Giovanni Malagò, who spoke to Sky in Italy, the federation is willing to stretch its budgetary constraints in the short to medium term, noting that "tightening our belts" would be an understatement. He hinted that the exception being considered would revolve around a name that dominates contemporary football discourse.
The discussions took place in Barcelona, where Maldini and Leonardo explained that the role they envision for Guardiola would place him at the heart of an "Azzurro project" designed to rebuild Italian football on a solid, sustainable foundation after the national team failed to qualify for the expanded World Cup this summer. The proposed plan would not only affect the senior Azzurri squad but would also extend to every other age‑group team under the FIGC’s umbrella. The idea is to install a unified playing philosophy, training methodology, and talent‑development pipeline that mirrors the systematic approach Guardiola has applied with great success at Manchester City. While the former City manager has listened attentively to the offer, he has not yet given a definitive answer, leaving the Italian side waiting for his decision.
Other names that have been mentioned for the vacancy include former Italy coach Roberto Mancini and the ex‑midfielder‑turned‑coach Andrea Pirlo, but the FIGC’s recent shake‑up—bringing in Maldini and Leonardo after a series of disappointing qualification campaigns—signals that the federation is looking for a transformative figure rather than a conventional appointment. Their immediate task is to find a successor to Gennaro Gattuso, who stepped down after Italy missed out on the North American World Cup. Guardiola, who is now a free agent for the first time in a decade following his departure from Manchester City, leaves a legacy of 20 trophies and an impressive 70.8% win rate. His exit from the Etihad was framed as a personal decision: in his final press conference he explained that he needed a break to spend more time with his family, his father, and to pursue interests outside of football.
"No plans for coaching for a while. I need to step back," he said, emphasizing his desire for a better work‑life balance after years of relentless pressure to chase titles. Despite his stated intention to take a hiatus, Guardiola has hinted that he remains open to the idea of international management. In a 2024 interview with chef Dani García, he remarked that while he would not relocate to another club in a different country, the prospect of leading a national side appealed to him because it would involve less day‑to‑day training while still offering the challenge of guiding a team through a tournament cycle.
Football analysts, such as Sky Sports' Callum Bishop, note that Guardiola is arguably the most valuable commodity in the coaching market. After his stints with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, he has expressed fatigue with the club‑level grind and a yearning for a role that allows more personal time. Yet his competitive nature suggests that the itch to coach will eventually return, and an international post could satisfy both his love for the game and his desire for flexibility. A national team job would let Guardiola work with players intermittently—perhaps every few months during international breaks—while still imparting his tactical philosophy across a Euro or World Cup campaign.
This arrangement could provide the ideal blend of professional engagement and personal freedom, and it would also represent a new frontier for a manager who has already achieved virtually everything at the club level. Imagine the historic scenario in which Guardiola becomes the first foreign manager to lead a team to World Cup glory. While Italy’s current position—missing out on the latest World Cup—makes such a triumph seem unlikely, Guardiola’s track record suggests that he could transform a struggling side into a competitive force if given the resources and autonomy promised by the FIGC’s "exceptional" budget adjustment.
In summary, the Italian federation is prepared to rewrite its financial playbook to secure one of football’s most sought‑after coaches. Whether Guardiola accepts the challenge remains to be seen, but the seriousness of the FIGC’s approach—highlighted by high‑level meetings, a comprehensive national‑team overhaul plan, and a willingness to bend budget rules—underscores how eager Italy is to restore its status on the global stage.