Italy need sponsors’ help to keep Guardiola dream alive | OneFootball

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Pep Guardiola’s salary is unaffordable for the FIGC, so if the Spaniard is offered Italy’s job, the FA will need financial support from sponsors, as happened with Antonio Conte in the past.

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has emerged as a possible candidate for the Italy job.

Italy need sponsors’ help to afford Guardiola’s salary

Gazzetta has reported that the Spaniard would gladly listen to a proposal from the Italian FA (FIGC), which will elect its new president to replace Gabriele Gravina on June 22.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Antonio Conte, Head Coach of Napoli, gives the team instructions during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Manchester City and SSC Napoli at City of Manchester Stadium on September 18, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Guardiola earns circa €14m net plus bonuses per season at Manchester City, a sum that is clearly unaffordable for the FIGC.

Therefore, if Italy were to make any approach to Guardiola, they’d need financial support from sponsors.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Antonio Conte, Head Coach of Napoli, and Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, embrace prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Manchester City and SSC Napoli at City of Manchester Stadium on September 18, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

It’s not a new scenario for the Azzurri, given that half of Conte’s €4.1m salary between 2014 and 2016 was paid by one of the FIGC sponsors, Puma, which currently has a commercial partnership with Guardiola as well.

Gazzetta reports that Roberto Mancini has been the highest-paid Italy coach in recent years, having signed a new €3m-a-year contract after winning the Euros in 2021.

His successor, Luciano Spalletti, earned €2.8m, Giampiero Ventura’s salary was €1.5m, and Gennaro Gattuso received €800,000 for his nine-month spell in charge of La Nazionale.