One of the most successful managers in football history has just turned down one of the most prestigious national team jobs – and it says a lot about the state of Italian football.
Pep Guardiola, who left Manchester City in May after a decade at the club, has rejected an approach from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to become the next Italy head coach. The FIGC made an extraordinary effort to land him, including offering a huge salary and effectively giving him free rein to shape the job as he saw fit. But Guardiola, 55, has informed the federation that he intends to stick to his plan of taking a break from the game to rest, spend time with family and travel.
“Pep Guardiola turned down Italy's national team job – here's why and what it means for the crisis-hit Azzurri.”
Italy's pursuit of Guardiola came after the Azzurri failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, losing a play-off to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March. That failure triggered a crisis: the FIGC president, Gabriele Gravina, and head coach, Gennaro Gattuso, resigned. In response, the federation appointed Paolo Maldini as technical director and began searching for a marquee manager to rebuild the team. Guardiola was their top target.
Alongside Guardiola, the FIGC also held talks with Carlo Ancelotti, the current Brazil manager. But Ancelotti, who signed a contract extension with Brazil through the 2030 World Cup in May, has agreed to stay in his role. That left Guardiola as the main hope – but despite a three-day meeting in Barcelona between Maldini, special advisor Leonardo and Guardiola, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach said no.
For UK readers, Guardiola's next move matters because his decision shapes the landscape of elite football management. After transforming English football and winning 17 major trophies with Manchester City, his next job – whenever it comes – could be with a club or a national team. Meanwhile, Italy's search for a new coach has immediate consequences for their Nations League group, which includes France, Belgium and Turkey.
Q: Why did Pep Guardiola turn down the Italy job? He said no because he wants to take a break from management, using the time to rest, spend time with his family and travel. The FIGC tried to tempt him with a huge salary and the freedom to design the role as he wished, but Guardiola stuck to his plan.
Q: Who will be Italy's next manager? The frontrunner is Andrea Pirlo, the former Italy playmaker who is currently head coach of Dubai-based United FC. The FIGC technical director, Paolo Maldini, said the federation hopes to announce a new coach within the week, but admitted they would wait for the right person if needed.
Q: What is the scale of Italy's crisis? Italy, four-time world champions, have failed to qualify for three World Cups in a row – a devastating run that led to the resignations of both the federation president and the head coach. The team is now in a rebuilding phase, with fans frustrated and the federation desperate for a high-profile leader.
What happens next: The FIGC is expected to announce a new head coach shortly, with Pirlo the likely choice. Whoever takes over will face a tough Nations League campaign starting in the autumn. Guardiola, meanwhile, remains out of work and is expected to take at least a full season away from the game before considering his next move.