Italy football federation president confirms talks with Guardiola for coaching role

ROME — The president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Giovanni Malagò, has confirmed that the federation held talks with Pep Guardiola over its vacant national team head coach position, while cautioning that a deal is far from certain.

Malagò revealed the discussions in an interview with the Italian website Cronache di Spogliatoio and in comments to Sky in Italy, stating that it had been right to open a dialogue with the former Manchester City manager and to keep it alive, even without any guarantee of success.

FIGC technical director Paolo Maldini and his advisor, Leonardo, traveled to Barcelona to meet Guardiola, with the talks reportedly spanning around three days. According to Italian media, they presented more than a straightforward coaching offer, pitching Guardiola as the central figure in an “Azzurro project” to rebuild Italian football on stronger foundations.

Malagò acknowledged that the federation's finances were stretched, saying, " We need to tighten our belts is an understatement,” he said, but indicated that exceptions could be made for a candidate of Guardiola's stature, confirming the coaching budget could be increased for him.

The FIGC president nonetheless struck a cautious note, saying he was not sure the move would come about, while maintaining that opening the channel had been worthwhile. He added that the shortlist was not limited to Guardiola, with Roberto Mancini and Andrea Pirlo also among the names under consideration.

The Italy job has been vacant since Gennaro Gattuso stepped down earlier this year, after the Azzurri failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, their third consecutive absence from the tournament, an unprecedented low for the four-time world champions.

Guardiola, 55, has been out of work since leaving Manchester City at the end of last season, ending a decade-long spell in which he won 20 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League. He had suggested he would take a break from management to spend more time with his family. He also has personal ties to Italy, having played for Brescia and Roma in the early 2000s.