ROME, Italy – Italian football is facing a period of intense uncertainty and restructuring, following a humiliating third consecutive failure to qualify for the men’s FIFA World Cup, and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has set its sights on two of the biggest names in global coaching to turn the struggling national program around. Top FIGC officials have confirmed they have held formal talks with two legendary coaching figures: former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, and current Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti, as they move to fill the vacant Italy head coach position. Officials aim to confirm a permanent appointment within the next seven days, though they have stressed they will prioritize hiring the right candidate over rushing an announcement.
The leadership shakeup comes after Italy’s 1-0 playoff defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March, which locked the four-time World Cup-winning Azzurri out of a third straight World Cup tournament. The devastating result triggered immediate resignations from both FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and national team head coach Gennaro Gattuso, who had only taken the job 10 months prior, after predecessor Luciano Spalletti was fired with Italy’s qualifying campaign already on the brink of collapse following an opening-match defeat in Norway.
New FIGC president Giovanni Malagò, alongside recently appointed technical director Paolo Maldini – the former Italy and AC Milan iconic defender – and special advisor Leonardo, have taken the lead in the search process. Maldini addressed reporters following a meeting with Serie A club representatives Thursday, confirming that the federation has targeted the sport’s most high-profile coaches from the start of the search.
“Honestly, we cannot share any new updates at this moment, but you are correct that Guardiola is one of our targets,” Maldini told reporters. “We can’t hide that we spoke with Carlo Ancelotti first before reaching out to Pep. It felt only right to start with the best coaches in the world, to gauge their general availability for the role.”
The FIGC’s courting of Guardiola included a three-day, in-person meeting between Maldini, Leonardo, and the 55-year-old Spaniard in Barcelona recently. A product of the Barcelona youth system and one of the most decorated coaches in soccer history, Guardiola wrapped up a historic 10-year tenure at Manchester City at the end of the 2023-2024 season. During his time in England, he transformed City from a mid-table domestic side into a dominant European powerhouse, won 16 major trophies including the coveted continental treble, and redefined tactical attacking play across English soccer. Across his career at City, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona, Guardiola has claimed 35 major senior titles.
As for Ancelotti, the 67-year-old Italian coaching legend signed a contract extension with the Brazilian national team in May that was set to keep him in charge through the 2030 World Cup. But Brazil, a five-time World Cup champion, suffered a shocking early exit in the 2024 tournament, knocked out in the round of 16 by Norway, leaving his future open to speculation. Ancelotti is the most decorated club coach of his generation: he has won top-flight league titles in Italy, England, France, Spain and Germany, and remains the only coach in history to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy five times.
While Guardiola and Ancelotti are the federation’s top targets, other prominent candidates remain in contention for the role. Former Italy head coaches Roberto Mancini, who led the Azzurri to a surprise UEFA European Championship title in 2021, and former Chelsea and Tottenham manager Antonio Conte are widely cited as leading backup options, while 2006 World Cup-winning Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo has also been linked to the vacancy.
Maldini emphasized that while the federation hopes to finalize the appointment this week, it is willing to wait for its preferred candidate. “The best outcome would be making an announcement this week, but our priority is getting the right person, not a quick announcement,” he said. “There is urgency to the role, but we are not panicking to fill it.”