Monday, July 20, 2026 -Pep Guardiola has held talks with the Italian Football Federation over the possibility of becoming Italy's next head coach following his departure from Manchester City, according to reports in Italy.
Guardiola, who left City in May after a trophy-laden 10-year
spell that included six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups
and the 2023 UEFA Champions League, had previously said he intended to take a
break from coaching.
According to Sky Italia, the 55-year-old met with Italy's
technical director Paolo Maldini and advisor Leonardo in Barcelona over the
weekend, where discussions reportedly lasted three days. The report said
Italian football officials presented their long-term project to the former
Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager, although it remains unclear whether
Guardiola is interested in taking the role.
Italy are searching for a new manager following Gennaro
Gattuso's resignation in April after the Azzurri failed to qualify for the FIFA
World Cup for the third consecutive time. Former Italy manager Roberto Mancini
and ex-midfielder Andrea Pirlo are also among the candidates being considered
for the position.
The reports come after it was previously revealed that
Guardiola had verbally agreed to succeed Gareth Southgate as England manager in
2024 before deciding to remain at Manchester City by signing a new contract.
England eventually appointed Thomas Tuchel, whose current contract runs until
the end of Euro 2028 after leading the Three Lions to a third-place finish at
the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Despite the reported talks with Italy, Guardiola recently
reiterated that he intends to step away from coaching for a period. "I
have no plans to coach for a while. I need to step back. I know myself, and I
don't feel I will have the energy every day to fight for titles and meet those
expectations," he said.
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