Italy working to convince Barcelona legend to take over as their next manager – Report | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola could be heading towards one of the most fascinating challenges of his coaching career, with Italy stepping up efforts to make the former FC Barcelona boss their next national-team manager.

The Catalan coach is currently without a club after leaving Manchester City earlier this summer, and he has previously been linked with the possibility of eventually moving into international management.

According to SPORT, citing Sky Sport journalist Peppe Di Stefano, Paolo Maldini and Leonardo travelled to Barcelona last weekend to meet Guardiola and discuss the Italian national-team project.

The talks reportedly lasted for a significant part of the weekend, although no agreement has been reached and there is still no guarantee Guardiola will accept.

Italy believe Guardiola could lead their rebuild

For Italy, the logic is obvious. They are trying to recover their place among the elite after years of inconsistency, and Guardiola remains one of the most influential coaches of his generation.

His name would immediately give the project enormous credibility, while his ability to build structured, technically dominant teams could suit a country looking for a clearer footballing identity.

There is also an obvious Barcelona connection. Guardiola remains one of the defining figures in the club’s modern history, first as a midfielder and then as the coach who led one of the greatest teams the game has seen.

The timing also feels significant. After years of relentless club football, moving into international management would offer Guardiola a completely different rhythm and challenge.

He has already conquered domestic football in Spain, Germany and England, as well as the Champions League. Trying to rebuild a historic national team would be a fresh test.

Italy are also considering Roberto Mancini and Andrea Pirlo, so Guardiola is not their only option.

Still, the meeting shows this is more than casual speculation. Italy have made their interest concrete and are now waiting to see whether Guardiola is ready to take the next step.