Guardiola replacing Gattuso to lead Italy, why not?

Coach Gennaro Gattuso will definitely not continue to manage the Italian national team following the defeat in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Antonio Conte and Max Allegri are the leading contenders to replace him, but a surprising option could also emerge: Pep Guardiola.

Yesterday, the President of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Gabriele Gravina, officially resigned. This is the inevitable consequence after Italy failed in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, marking their third consecutive absence from the world stage. Team captain Gianluigi Buffon also left his position. Gravina's replacement will be elected on June 22, but the more pressing concern now is who will lead the Italian national team following this leadership change.

Gattuso's contract with the Italian national team only lasts until June 2026, but it is highly likely that this former Milan midfielder will resign in the coming days to pave the way for reconstruction as soon as possible. According to Italian media, the FIGC's policy is to entrust the national team to a reputable, experienced, and strong-willed coach, ending the recent period of reliance on passive decisions. Based on these criteria, Antonio Conte, Max Allegri, and Roberto Mancini are the most prominent candidates.

Among them, Conte and Mancini have both previously coached the Italian national team. Conte led from 2014 to 2016, guiding the Azzurri to the quarter-finals of EURO 2016. Mancini was in charge from 2018 to 2023, achieving victory in EURO 2020, but faced heavy criticism after abruptly resigning in August 2023 to take over the Saudi Arabian national team. He was accused of being motivated by money, though the former Manchester City manager revealed that the main reason was a deep conflict with President Gravina. He still declares his readiness to return to the national team if selected.

Mancini still enjoys widespread support because Italy under his leadership played a very proactive style with an advanced 4-3-3 formation, presenting an image of a vibrant and spirited Italy. The EURO 2020 trophy was a deserved achievement, the sole pride of Italian football in the past 20 years. In contrast, both Conte and Allegri belong to the pragmatic school, prioritizing results above all else. Teams under these two strategists rarely play beautifully, but their cohesion and mental toughness are always at a very high level. They are both guarantees of success, with six domestic league titles each, more than any other coach the FIGC could consider at this moment. No one could do better than these "old masters" in rebuilding and reshaping a disorganized and demoralized team. However, it is not easy to persuade them to leave Napoli and Milan at this time.

There are also opinions that Italy should now seek a foreign coach to implement a thorough and substantive change in football philosophy. A strong and conservative team like Brazil accepted reform by appointing Carlo Ancelotti, the English national team also changed its philosophy by hiring Thomas Tuchel after the accumulated pains under Gareth Southgate, so why can't Italy? The name proposed is precisely Pep Guardiola, the football revolutionary who has achieved countless successes since 2009. Pep is almost certain to leave Manchester City after this season and has previously expressed his desire to coach a national team for EURO or the World Cup. If finances are not an issue, Italy could certainly consider this possibility.