According to a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Manchester City’s current manager, Pep Guardiola, would be receptive to an offer to become the head coach of the Italian national team this summer. This interest comes despite Guardiola having one year remaining on his contract with the Premier League club.
The Italian publication suggests that Guardiola would gladly consider an offer to take over the Azzurri. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) is expected to appoint a new head coach after June 22nd, following the election of a new FIGC President.
La Gazzetta dello Sport indicates that Guardiola’s long-term future at Manchester City is not definitively settled, even with his contract set to expire in June 2027. The report speculates that if Guardiola were to depart from Manchester City, he might opt for a break from club management rather than immediately taking another coaching position elsewhere. However, the prospect of managing a national team could present an appealing alternative, potentially allowing him to avoid the intense demands of club management while remaining active in football.
The report highlights Guardiola’s established connection with Italy, stemming from his playing career with Brescia and Roma. This history has reportedly fostered a strong bond, making him potentially open to the idea of coaching the Italian national team.
The article also references a past statement from 2018 where Guardiola did not dismiss the possibility of coaching in Italy in the future, although he later commented that he would likely prefer to visit Italy on holiday rather than take on a coaching role. Nevertheless, Italian football figures, such as former player Leonardo Bonucci, have suggested that Guardiola should be a primary candidate for the new FIGC President to consider.
English Translation:
Report: Guardiola Would Consider Becoming Italy Coach
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola would consider becoming the Italy coach in the summer, despite having one year left on his contract with the Premier League giants.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola would happily listen to an offer to become the new Italy coach, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Azzurri will appoint a new head coach after June 22, when the new FIGC President will be elected.
Gazzetta reports that Guardiola’s future at Manchester City is far from certain, despite having a contract expiring in June 2027.
The pink paper indicates that if Pep were to leave Manchester City, he would not accept an offer from another club, as he would prefer to take a break to recover from the stress of many years at the Etihad Stadium. This, however, doesn’t necessarily mean the Spaniard would take a sabbatical, as he already did in 2012; and a national team job would be an ideal compromise.
Gazzetta reports that Guardiola, a former Brescia and Roma midfielder, has built a strong bond with Italy and would be open to considering an offer to become the Azzurri coach.
Gazzetta recalls that back in 2018, Guardiola refused to rule out coming to Italy as a coach one day, even if, a few years later, he admitted: “Every nice thing happening in Italy makes me happy, but I think I’ll rather go to Italy on holiday than to coach.”
Italy legend Bonucci, a former assistant of Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso, said Guardiola should be the first option for the new FIGC President: “I think it’s very hard, but dreaming doesn’t cost anything.”