Italy football federation president confirms talks with Guardiola for coaching role

Pep Guardiola has held discussions about potentially becoming the head coach of the Italian national football team, according to Giovanni Malago, president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).

Malago confirmed the talks with the highly sought-after manager, who recently concluded a trophy-laden decade with Manchester City. "Exceptions have been made, exceptions that for example may concern the name that is so overbearing in these hours: Pep Guardiola," Malago told Italian digital sports platform Cronache di Spogliatoio. He suggested that financial flexibility could be considered for a manager of Guardiola's caliber, though he cautioned that the move is not certain to materialize.

Italy has been searching for a new coach since Gennaro Gattuso resigned in April, following the team's failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. The appointment of a new national coach is seen as a critical first step in overhauling the country's football infrastructure, which has been in decline. Guardiola, a celebrated figure in football, previously managed Barcelona and Bayern Munich, achieving significant success at each club.

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Exceptions have been made, exceptions that for example may concern the name that is so overbearing in these hours: Pep Guardiola. Exceptions for obvious reasons that I am not here to explain, but it is not certain that this thing will go through.