Pep Guardiola in talks to become Italy head coach, says FIGC president Giovanni Malago

Pep Guardiola has held talks over becoming Italy’s next head coach, the president of the country’s football federation has confirmed, raising the prospect of one of the game’s most successful modern managers taking charge of a crisis-hit four-time world champion.

Giovanni Malago, head of the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC), said discussions had taken place with the former Manchester City, Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager, and indicated Italy may be prepared to bend its usual financial rules to lure him.

Italy have been without a permanent coach since Gennaro Gattuso resigned in April, following the national team’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup – an unprecedented low for the Azzurri.

Guardiola emerges as marquee candidate

Speaking to Italian digital sports platform Cronache di Spogliatoio, Malago publicly acknowledged for the first time that Guardiola is under serious consideration for the role.

“(Financial) Exceptions have been made, exceptions that for example may concern the name that is so overbearing in these hours: Pep Guardiola,” said Malago.

“Exceptions for obvious reasons that I am not here to explain, but it is not certain that this thing will go through.”

Malago did not provide details of the talks or say how close the FIGC might be to securing an agreement, but his remarks confirm that Italy’s federation has directly approached Guardiola about succeeding Gattuso.

The FIGC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A decade of dominance in Manchester

Guardiola, 55, left Manchester City at the end of last season after transforming the club into the dominant force in English football.

During a spell of around 10 years at City, he guided the team to:

– Six Premier League titles – Three FA Cups – Five League Cups – One Champions League title

His time in the Premier League followed hugely successful stints at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

Before joining City in 2016, Guardiola won two Champions League titles and three La Liga crowns with Barcelona, where his team became a byword for possession-based attacking football. He then claimed three consecutive Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich.

Italy at historic low point

Malago’s revelation comes as Italian football faces what many observers see as its most severe crisis in nearly four decades.

Italian clubs suffered an early, broad exit from European competitions, underlining the decline in the country’s footballing stature at club level. On the international stage, Italy’s failure to reach last season’s World Cup extended a run of three successive missed tournaments.

That sequence has intensified scrutiny of the FIGC and the broader system that feeds the national side, from academies to player development and coaching education.

The appointment of a new head coach is widely viewed as a crucial first step in a sweeping overhaul of Italy’s football infrastructure, particularly its youth and talent pipelines, which have struggled to produce enough top-level players.

Rebuilding a ‘national obsession’

In a country where football remains a cultural cornerstone, the Azzurri’s struggles have been met with anger, frustration and calls for radical change.

Bringing in a coach of Guardiola’s stature would represent a dramatic statement of intent by the FIGC. It would also mark the Spaniard’s first international job, after a club career that has brought him league titles in Spain, Germany and England.

However, Malago’s comments suggest that significant hurdles remain, including the financial demands associated with hiring one of the world’s most sought-after managers.

“Exceptions for obvious reasons that I am not here to explain, but it is not certain that this thing will go through,” Malago cautioned, underlining that no agreement has been reached.

For now, Italy continue their search for a successor to Gattuso, with Guardiola firmly established as the most high-profile – and ambitious – target in their bid to revive a fallen footballing superpower.