Pep Guardiola Rejects Italy National Team Job, Plans to Rest After Leaving Manchester City

The Italian football world faced disappointment once again as Pep Guardiola decided to turn down a major offer to become the manager of the Italy national team, choosing instead to pursue his plan to take a full break from management after parting ways with Manchester City this summer, concluding a full 10-year tenure.

Earlier in the week, Giovanni Malagò, president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), revealed that the association had initiated talks with Guardiola, noting that they were even willing to waive the salary cap to secure the manager's services. On Thursday, Paolo Maldini, the FIGC's technical director, further disclosed that Italy had originally attempted to contact Carlo Ancelotti, a former player who is currently managing the Brazil national team, but Ancelotti chose to remain in his current role.

Consequently, the FIGC put forward a special offer to attract one of the most successful managers in the world, not only preparing a massive salary but also allowing Guardiola to adjust his working methods as needed in order to restore pride to the Azzurri squad, which has missed out on World Cup qualification for three consecutive tournaments. However, after carefully considering all the offers, Guardiola declined.

This situation has made Andrea Pirlo, the former Italy playmaker and manager of United FC in Dubai, the leading candidate to take on this heavy responsibility. His main missions will be to lead the team through a tough Nations League group featuring France, Belgium, and Turkey this autumn, and to guide the team through the qualifiers to reach Euro 2028.

Source: BBC Sport