Italy’s search for a new national team head coach has taken a significant turn, with Pep Guardiola identified as the federation’s top target to rebuild the Azzurri following yet another catastrophic failure to reach the World Cup.
According to Marca, the Italian football hierarchy holds a “dream” of appointing the 55-year-old Spaniard this summer. That interest appears to be reciprocated — La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Guardiola is “happy” to entertain a formal proposal from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).
Italy’s qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup ended in humiliating circumstances last month, with the four-time world champions eliminated via a penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia & Herzegovina. The result condemned the Azzurri to missing a third successive global tournament, an unprecedented crisis for one of world football’s most storied nations.
The fallout was immediate and far-reaching. FIGC president Gabriele Gravina stepped down from his position, as did delegation chief and former Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. Head coach Gennaro Gattuso was relieved of his duties shortly after, leaving the federation to begin an urgent reconstruction process ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil — co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Gguardiola currently has one year remaining on his contract at Manchester City, though speculation surrounding his long-term future at the Etihad Stadium has intensified in recent months. According to reports, City are pressing for clarity on his intentions and have already held exploratory discussions with Enzo Maresca as a possible successor.
Should Guardiola accept the Italy role, he would make history as only the second foreign coach to manage the national side, and the first since Argentine Helenio Herrera held the position in the 1960s. The appointment would represent a dramatic departure from the federation’s traditional preference for Italian-born coaches.
The Catalan coach brings a record unmatched in the modern game. Across his managerial stints at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, Guardiola has accumulated 40 major trophies — a figure that includes multiple Champions League titles, domestic league championships in Spain, Germany, and England, and a historic treble with City in the 2022-23 season.
At Manchester City specifically, Guardiola has overseen a decade of sustained domestic dominance, delivering six Premier League titles among numerous other honours. However, his tenure has been complicated by City’s ongoing legal proceedings related to alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules, a case that continues to cast uncertainty over the club’s medium-term future.
For the FIGC, luring a coach of Guardiola’s standing would serve as a powerful statement of intent as Italy attempts to arrest a prolonged decline at international level. The 2026 World Cup, which kicks off in June of that year, would represent the federation’s most immediate target for restoring the national team’s credibility on the global stage.
