Italy has been searching for a new national football team coach since Gennaro Gattuso resigned in April 2026 following Italy's failure to qualify for their third consecutive World Cup after losing a playoff to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) officially approached Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola between July 21 and 23, 2026, to fill the vacancy [1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 5]. Paolo Maldini, FIGC's technical director, confirmed talks were held with both candidates. Maldini said, "We cannot hide the fact that we also spoke to Carlo Ancelotti before talking to Pep. Frankly, it seemed right to start with those we considered the best in the world" [1, 7].
Ancelotti, 67, currently coaches Brazil and in May 2026 extended his contract through the 2030 World Cup [2, 3, 7, 5, 6]. He remains committed to Brazil despite their elimination by Norway in the round of 16 at this year's World Cup [1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 6].
Guardiola, 55, declined Italy's offer between July 23 and 24, opting to take at least one year off to rest and spend time with family in Barcelona [8, 9, 10, 6]. Reportedly, he asked for an annual salary around €20 million—about double what FIGC offered—and his personal desire to remain in Barcelona complicated negotiations [1, 2, 4, 5]. Guardiola won six Premier League titles with Manchester City before stepping away from coaching for now [1, 2, 9, 10].
Potential replacements include Antonio Conte, Andrea Pirlo, and Roberto Mancini. Pirlo, coaching Dubai’s United FC, is considered a frontrunner after Guardiola’s refusal [1, 2, 8, 3, 4, 10, 5, 6]. Maldini emphasized prioritizing the right candidate. He said, "The best thing would be to announce the new coach this week, but even more to wait for the person we really want. So there’s urgency, but not so much inside us" [7].
Italy aims to name a new coach by the end of this week in late July 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Maldini continues leading the technical rebuild of Italian football after the recent World Cup disappointment [1, 3, 4, 5, 6].
