The FIGC has held discussions with ex-Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Brazil’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti regarding the possibility of leading the struggling national side.
The federation aims to name the new Italy manager this week, as the Azzurri continue to recover from failing to reach the World Cup for the third consecutive time.
Earlier this month, Paolo Maldini, the legendary former Italy and AC Milan defender, was appointed as the federation’s technical director. He attended a Thursday meeting with Serie A clubs, joined by the new FIGC president Giovanni Malagò and special advisor Leonardo.
“To be honest, we cannot provide any updates at this moment. You’ve pointed out one of our candidates,” Maldini stated during a press conference following the meeting when questioned about Guardiola. “We won’t deny that we also spoke with Carlo Ancelotti prior to approaching Pep. It felt appropriate to begin with the very best in the world, to gauge their overall interest.”
Guardiola departed Manchester City after last season, ending a decade-long, trophy-filled tenure that transformed the club into a European powerhouse and reshaped English football. The 55-year-old has claimed a host of major honors during his managerial career, including stints at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Maldini and Leonardo recently traveled to Barcelona for three days to discuss the Italy role with Guardiola. “Ideally, we would reveal the new coach this week, but it’s more important to wait for the individual we truly desire,” Maldini remarked. “So there is some pressure, but we aren’t feeling it internally.”
Ancelotti penned a contract extension with Brazil in May that runs until the 2030 World Cup. However, the five-time world champions endured one of their most disappointing campaigns on the global stage, exiting in the round of 16 after a 2-1 defeat to Norway.
The 67-year-old has captured domestic league championships in Italy, England, France, Spain, and Germany. He is also the sole manager to have lifted the Champions League trophy on five occasions.
The four-time world champions Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup after a playoff defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March, leading to the resignations of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and head coach Gennaro Gattuso. Gattuso had succeeded the sacked Luciano Spalletti the previous June, with the team already struggling after an opening qualifying loss to Norway.
Former Italy managers Roberto Mancini — who guided the Azzurri to the European Championship title in 2021 — and Antonio Conte are also considered leading candidates to assume control of the national team. Andrea Pirlo, a key player in Italy’s 2006 World Cup triumph, is likewise said to be in the running.
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