Guardiola in reported talks with Italy - would England come calling?

ByMichael Emons

BBC Sport journalist

Pep Guardiola has had immense occurrence managing successful Spain, Germany and England – could Italy beryllium next?

Sky successful Italy person reported that the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has held talks with the erstwhile Manchester City boss, external to effort to person him to go their caller nationalist squad caput coach.

Reports accidental legendary Italian defender Paolo Maldini, the caller method manager of the FIGC, and his advisor Leonardo, travelled to Barcelona and spoke with Guardiola implicit 3 days.

Former Italy internationals Roberto Mancini and Andrea Pirlo are besides successful contention, portion Guardiola would go lone the 2nd non-Italian to instrumentality implicit the nationalist squad - and the archetypal since the 1960s - if helium took the job.

It would besides spot a singular instrumentality to football, lone a fewer months aft his palmy 10-year spell astatine Etihad Stadium came to an extremity successful May.

However, it would not beryllium his archetypal sensation of Italian football.

Guardiola, 55, is simply a fluent Italian talker and spent 2 seasons playing successful Italy's Serie A, from 2001 to 2003, with 2 spells astatine Brescia and 1 astatine Roma.

Italy bushed England successful the European Championship last successful 2021 but person failed to suffice for 3 successive World Cups.

Gennaro Gattuso near the relation of caput coach successful April aft they were beaten by Bosnia-Herzegovina connected penalties successful the European play-off to miss retired connected the 2026 tourney successful North America.

If Guardiola was acceptable to instrumentality to management, would the English Football Association marque an approach?

England person conscionable finished 3rd successful the World Cup, their highest presumption successful a men's tourney since winning it successful 1966.

However, brag Thomas Tuchel has been wide criticised aft the 2-1 semi-final nonaccomplishment to Argentina arsenic his antiaircraft substitutions were perceived to person contributed to the Three Lions being incapable to clasp connected to their 1-0 advantage.

Tuchel, 52, signed a two-year declaration hold successful February having been appointed successful January 2025 and retains the backing of the FA.

But erstwhile England skipper Wayne Rooney felt the FA mightiness "go and get" Guardiola if helium is available.

"I don't spot anyone other retired determination astatine the minute, unless you spell and get Pep Guardiola. If Pep is available, past possibly you spell and get him," Rooney said connected The Wayne Rooney Show aft England's nonaccomplishment to Argentina.

"If we sack him [Tuchel], what managers are we going to bring in? And I don't deliberation there's anyone retired determination who's arsenic bully arsenic Thomas Tuchel, unless Guardiola."

The FA approached Guardiola earlier appointing Tuchel, with reports suggesting determination was a verbal agreement, external successful place, with Guardiola remaining astatine Manchester City.

During his decennary successful England, Guardiola won 20 trophies, including the Premier League six times, the FA Cup connected 3 occasions, the League Cup 5 times and the Community Shield 3 times.

He besides won the Champions League successful 2023, pursuing that with the Uefa Super Cup and the Fifa Club World Cup.

Manchester City was lone Guardiola's 3rd occupation successful nine management.

After opening astatine Barcelona, the nine wherever helium spent astir of his playing career, 3 palmy years astatine Bayern Munich followed, taking them to the Bundesliga successful each season, arsenic good arsenic the German Cup doubly and some the Uefa Super Cup and Club World Cup erstwhile apiece.

In nine football, determination is not overmuch Guardiola has not won.

At Barcelona, having moved up from coaching their 'B' broadside to the archetypal team, Guardiola near having lifted 3 La Ligas, 2 Champions Leagues, 5 home cups and the Uefa Super Cup and Club World Cup doubly each.

Guardiola said a tearful goodbye to Manchester City fans aft the last crippled of the 2025-26 season, a 2-1 location nonaccomplishment to Aston Villa.

He said: "I americium truthful tired. Seriously, I americium truthful tired. I did everything. We did it.

"The memories I person of Barcelona and Bayern Munich are unbeatable but the luggage of memories I person from present from 10 years is much than immoderate other.

"Without the trophies I would person been sacked but it is not looking astatine the trophies successful the furniture astatine location that makes maine happy. It is the memories and connections I had since time 1 with the city, the backroom unit and the players."

Despite the affectional send-off, Guardiola had nary uncertainty helium was making the close decision.

He said: "It is the close time. I volition not miss it for a while, that's for sure."

Guardiola's City broadside pushed Arsenal passim the 2025-26 season, earlier the Gunners clinched the rubric successful the last week of the campaign.

Mentally and physically drained, Guardiola said helium needed "rest" and "to measurement back" from nine football, adding "he would not person the vigor that's required [for a match] each 3 days, with expectations to combat for titles".

But could helium truly enactment distant from the crippled and would planetary football, without the day-to-day strength that comes with the nine game, beryllium the cleanable mode backmost in?

Italy person a glorious shot history, winning 4 World Cups and the European Championship twice, but are present down to 15th successful the satellite rankings, having had to ticker connected from location for a 3rd successive World Cup.

Guardiola's main task would beryllium to unafraid qualification for Euro 2028, which volition instrumentality spot successful the United Kingdom and Ireland, with the qualifiers successful 2027.

But determination would not beryllium overmuch clip earlier the large games came about.

The Azzurri's adjacent lucifer is astatine location against Belgium successful the Nations League connected 25 September, astatine Rome's Stadio Olimpico, wherever Guardiola played for Roma.

It would beryllium a engaged commencement for Guardiola, with Italy besides drawn alongside Turkey and World Cup semi-finalists France successful the Nations League and six matches betwixt September and November.

But, arsenic we person seen, Guardiola has ne'er been acrophobic of a challenge. It could beryllium an contiguous instrumentality to the crippled for 1 of the all-time large managers.