Top five potential managers for Italy job ft. Mancini & Guardiola
Gli Azzurri missed out on their third straight World Cup qualification.
Italy have failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time in their history. Now the national team is set to overhaul the entire board following the massive failure.
As the four-time winners consider their future, Gli Azzurri have lost out on a ticket to the FIFA World Cup for the third time in a row.
We examine who could take over the renowned national team. Italy search for a new head coach to guide them into Euro 2028 and beyond, with an eye on eventually making a World Cup comeback in 2030.
The top five potential candidates for Italy’s job
| Rank | Manager |
| 5 | Stefano Pioli |
| 4 | Massimiliano Allegri |
| 3 | Roberto Mancini |
| 2 | Fabio Cannavaro |
| 1 | Pep Guardiola |
5. Stefano Pioli
Stefano Pioli, the former manager of AC Milan and Fiorentina, is the most sensible contender to take over the Italy position.
The 60-year-old, who was fired by Fiorentina in November, is currently unemployed. He has managed some of the best teams in Serie A and even managed Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. Pioli has led Lazio, Inter Milan, AC Milan, and numerous other Italian teams.
Surprisingly, he hasn’t coached the national team yet.
4. Massimiliano Allegri
With seven games remaining, AC Milan are now in third place in Serie A, nine points behind Inter, under the leadership of Massimiliano Allegri. He is another Italian candidate who has nevertheless never led the national team.
The 58-year-old has collected six Serie A titles, five of which he won during his stint at Juventus during the latter part of the team’s domination.
If he can be persuaded to leave Milan, his “old-fashioned” tactical style—which is still obviously effective—would fit in pretty nicely with the national team.
3. Roberto Mancini
It would make sense to go back to the man who handed Italy their final major prize, the victory at Euro 2020, as they struggle through this time of recurring World Cup qualifying failure. Regretfully, this also entails looking to the guy who was responsible for their terrible and humiliating World Cup qualifying failure for the 2022 competition, when they lost to North Macedonia in the UEFA playoff semifinals.
Ultimately, though, Mancini has significantly more international football experience than any other contender.
2. Fabio Cannavaro
The former professional Cup-winning captain of Italy is new to the management profession. So this would be a stretch. But depending on how this summer plays out, he might want to demonstrate his suitability for the position.
The 52-year-old has also managed China for a brief period of time in addition to his current position as a Uzbekistan manager, giving him plenty of international experience. So if he proves he can do the job, there will undoubtedly be a push to secure his services for Italy.
1. Pep Guardiola
Even though Pep Guardiola’s current contract expires at the end of next summer, there are reports that he wants to depart Manchester City at the end of the current campaign. If that happens, Guardiola will probably want to take a break before going back to the day-to-day grind of club administration, if at all.
In any case, Guardiola might be tempted to take a two-year or four-year break from club football and try his hand at international teams.
Guardiola’s name has been mentioned in relation to the position by the Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport. But a number of conditions must be met before it can become a serious possibility.
When was the last time Italy played in the World Cup?
In 2014.
Who will be Italy’s next coach?
As of now, no manager is heavily linked to the job.
Will Guardiola be their next manager?
Rumours are linking him to the job.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.