*This content was translated by AI.
After failing to qualify for the World Cup finals three consecutive times since the 2014 Brazil tournament, the Italian national team reached out to world-class managers to fill its vacant coaching position. It was confirmed that the Italian Football Federation contacted former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and current Brazil national team coach Carlo Ancelotti in succession.
British media outlet 'BBC' reported on the 24th (Korea time) that "the Italian Football Federation has been negotiating with former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who led the club for the past decade before resigning, and current Brazil national team head coach Carlo Ancelotti over the position of national team manager to rescue the struggling squad."
Earlier, British media outlet 'The Guardian' also revealed that the Italian Football Federation had met directly with both Guardiola and Ancelotti as candidates for the next national team manager.
Italy failed to qualify for the finals after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup European qualification play-offs in March. This marks three consecutive failures to reach the World Cup finals, following misses in 2018 Russia and 2022 Qatar, with the 2026 North America World Cup also now out of reach.
Gabriele Gravina, president of the Italian Football Federation, ultimately resigned, and even coach Gennaro Gattuso voluntarily stepped down last April. The position of national team manager remains vacant.
To manage the crisis, a legend took direct action. Paolo Maldini, the legendary defender for both Italy and AC Milan, recently assumed the role of Gi Sul-wi (Director) at the football federation. He spent three days in Barcelona, Spain, meeting with newly appointed federation president Giovanni Malago and special advisor Leonardo to personally propose the national team manager position to Guardiola.
Furthermore, technical director Maldini acknowledged during a press conference that "it is difficult to share specific details about the current situation," but confirmed that "Pep Guardiola is indeed the coach the Italian Football Federation targeted."
He added, "Before speaking with Pep, I also had a conversation first with Coach Ancelotti. We believed it was appropriate to meet with world-class coaches first."
Guardiola spent the past decade at Manchester City, achieving six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups, and a UEFA Champions League victory before entering his sabbatical period. Ancelotti is the only manager to have won titles in all five major European leagues—Italy, England, France, Spain, and Germany—and has secured five career Champions League titles.
However, Ancelotti signed an extension with the Brazil national team in 2025, extending his contract through the 2030 World Cup. The Brazilian Football Federation also officially confirmed its decision to retain Ancelotti even after Brazil was eliminated in the Round of 16 of the North America World Cup with a 1-2 loss to Norway last month.
A massive salary is expected to be the biggest obstacle to Italy's pursuit of Guardiola. According to Italian media outlet 'La Gazzetta dello Sport', Guardiola is reportedly demanding an annual salary of around 20 million euros (approximately 33.6 billion won). This amount is double the upper limit the Italian Federation can offer. In response, President Malago stated, "We may make exceptions for Guardiola's salary," leaving room for possibility.
Meanwhile, other potential candidates for Italy's next manager include Antonio Conte, Roberto Mancini who led the team to Euro 2020 victory, and Andrea Pirlo, a member of the 2006 Germany World Cup-winning squad, in addition to Guardiola and Ancelotti.
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*This content was translated by AI.
