Italy holds talks with Guardiola and Ancelotti for national team coaching role

By Kwame Ofori — 23 July 2026 — 3 min read

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has engaged in discussions with both Pep Guardiola, formerly of Manchester City, and Carlo Ancelotti, the current manager of Brazil, regarding the vacant head coach position for the national team. This comes as Italy seeks a new leader after failing to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time.

Paolo Maldini, who recently became the federation’s technical director, confirmed that Guardiola was a target. Maldini also stated that conversations had taken place with Ancelotti before approaching Guardiola. The aim was to explore the availability of what he described as some of the best coaches in the world.

Giovanni Malagò, the new FIGC president, also confirmed talks with Guardiola, indicating that financial “exceptions” could be considered for his salary. Guardiola concluded a 10-year tenure at Manchester City at the end of last season, a period during which he secured multiple Premier League titles, FA Cups, League Cups, and the Champions League. His coaching career also includes successful spells at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

Search for a new coach

The search for a new coach follows the resignation of Gennaro Gattuso in April, prompted by Italy’s inability to qualify for the World Cup. Gattuso had taken over from Luciano Spalletti the previous June, after the team’s performance declined following a defeat against Norway in their initial qualifier match.

Maldini and Leonardo, a special advisor, reportedly spent three days in Barcelona to discuss the Italy job with Guardiola. Maldini expressed a desire to announce the new coach within the week, emphasizing the urgency while also stressing the importance of securing their preferred candidate.

Ancelotti, who extended his contract with Brazil until the 2030 World Cup in May, has a distinguished coaching record. He has won league titles in Italy, England, France, Spain, and Germany, and is the only coach to have won the Champions League five times. Despite his contract, Brazil experienced one of their worst World Cup performances, exiting in the last 16 after a 2-1 loss to Norway.

Other candidates considered

Other notable names reportedly under consideration for the coaching role include former Italy coaches Roberto Mancini and Antonio Conte. Mancini led the Azzurri to victory in the European Championship in 2021. Andrea Pirlo, who played a key role in Italy’s 2006 World Cup win, is also reportedly in contention for the position.

Malagò clarified that Guardiola, Mancini, and Pirlo are not the only candidates, stating that the federation is looking for a specific profile, and these individuals fit that category. Historically, the Italy men’s national team has almost exclusively been managed by Italian coaches, with only two exceptions: Hungarian Lajos Czeizler in the 1950s and Argentine Helenio Herrera, who was joint manager with Italian Ferruccio Valcareggi in the following decade.

Guardiola, despite never having managed in Italy, is fluent in Italian and played in Serie A for two seasons between 2001 and 2003, with stints at Brescia and Roma. His departure from Manchester City in May marked the end of a successful 10-year period.