Giovanni Malagò, the president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), has announced that Pep Guardiola is among the candidates under consideration for the vacant head coach role.
Since Gennaro Gattuso stepped down following Italy’s loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina in the World Cup playoff in April, the Azzurri have been without a coach, resulting in Italy missing their third consecutive men’s World Cup.
Malagò indicated that the federation is prepared to make financial concessions to secure Guardiola, who has recently become a free agent after departing from Manchester City earlier this summer.
“While it’s not guaranteed that discussions with Guardiola will lead to anything, I felt it was important to initiate and maintain this conversation,” Malagò stated on the ‘Cronache di Spogliatoio‘ podcast.
He emphasized that exploring options with Guardiola does not show disrespect to other candidates, discussions with whom have already started, and adding another name will not hinder the process.
“There are also financial and budget considerations at play. In the near future, it would be an understatement to say we need to be budget-conscious. However, certain exceptions may be made in relation to the prominent name currently under consideration.”
When asked if he was indeed referring to Guardiola, he affirmed, “Yes.”
Malagò reiterated that Guardiola, former Italy coach Roberto Mancini, and Italy legend Andrea Pirlo are not the only individuals being evaluated.
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He clarified, “No, not at all,” in response to whether only a select few names were being discussed. “However, if we are focusing on a specific profile, those names align with the criteria we have in mind.”
Guardiola, 55, has previously expressed interest in coaching a national team during a major tournament before retiring. His coaching career has included remarkable tenures at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, where he has amassed 41 major trophies, including three Champions League titles.
However, sources have indicated to ESPN that Guardiola’s discussions with the FIGC were limited and that he is looking to take a sabbatical after his tenure at City, which began in 2016.
Additional reporting by Sam Marsden and Gabriele Marcotti for ESPN.