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

What the report says

BBC Sport reports that Pep Guardiola has emerged as a possible candidate for Italy’s vacant national team job, with Sky in Italy saying the Italian Football Federation has held discussions aimed at persuading him to take the role. The report says FIGC technical director Paolo Maldini and adviser Leonardo travelled to Barcelona for talks with the former Manchester City manager over three days.

Guardiola, 55, left City in May after a decade at the Etihad Stadium and has not managed since. BBC Sport notes that Roberto Mancini and Andrea Pirlo are also being considered. If appointed, Guardiola would be only the second non-Italian to manage the Azzurri, and the first since the 1960s. He has links to Italian football from his playing career, having had spells at Brescia and Roma between 2001 and 2003, and he speaks Italian fluently.

The vacancy follows Gennaro Gattuso’s departure in April after Italy lost a World Cup play-off to Bosnia-Herzegovina on penalties. Italy, European champions in 2021 and four-time World Cup winners, have now missed three consecutive World Cups and are seeking a route back to major-tournament relevance. Their next scheduled match is a Nations League home game against Belgium on 25 September in Rome, with Euro 2028 qualification the longer-term priority.

BBC Sport also frames Guardiola’s availability in relation to England, where Thomas Tuchel remains backed by the FA despite criticism after a World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina. Former England captain Wayne Rooney has suggested Guardiola would be the only obvious upgrade if the FA made a change.