Pep Guardiola has turned down the opportunity to become the next head coach of the Italian national team, opting instead to take a break from football after ending his successful 10-year spell with Manchester City.
The former City manager was one of the top names linked with the Italy job after the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) reportedly reached out to him following his departure from the Premier League club.
Reports say the federation was prepared to offer Guardiola a lucrative contract and even give him significant control over how the national team would be managed in an effort to convince him to take charge.
Despite the attractive offer, Guardiola has decided to stick to his original plan of stepping away from football for a while.
According to BBC Sport, the Spanish coach wants to use the break to rest, spend more time with his family and travel before considering his next move.
Before approaching Guardiola, the FIGC had reportedly contacted former Italy midfielder Carlo Ancelotti, who currently manages the Brazil national team. However, Ancelotti chose to remain with Brazil, forcing Italy to explore other options.
Italy’s search for a new coach comes after a disappointing run that has seen the four-time world champions fail to qualify for the last three FIFA World Cups.
With both Ancelotti and Guardiola out of the race, former Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo has now emerged as the leading candidate for the job.
Pirlo currently manages United FC in Dubai and could be handed the responsibility of leading Italy through a challenging UEFA Nations League campaign against France, Belgium and Turkey, before guiding the team in the qualifiers for Euro 2028.
Guardiola’s decision means football fans will have to wait longer before seeing one of the game’s most successful managers return to the touchline.
Source: BBC Sport.
