- Former Italy defender shares view on Guardiola
- Comments come amid growing speculation
- Strong praise offered for City boss
Leonardo Bonucci has shared his thoughts on Pep Guardiola amid growing speculation regarding the manager’s future.
Pep Guardiola’s future is yet to be determined. After 10 seasons at the club, the Catalan manager has cemented himself as the best manager who has ever coached at the Etihad.
However, with a contract expiring next summer, renewal talks haven’t been reported yet. The Citizens are already worried regarding the manager’s possible departure.
There are also claims that an exit this summer is possible. As a result, there has been speculation about the manager and Italian legend Leonardo Bonucci has offered his opinion on the issue.
Bonucci would like to see Guardiola manage Italy
After failing to qualify for three World Cups in a row, the Italian national football team was left in shambles.
Their recent draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina sealed their fate for the 2026 World Cup as the Balkan nation succeded in penalties and left the European side in the dust.
Manager Gennaro Gattuso resigned as the national team’s manager, and the whole federation is under another transition. Likewise, Bonucci told Sky Sports that Pep Guardiola can be their saviour with no renewal at the Etihad in sight.
When asked if Bonucci would like Guardiola as Italy’s new manager, the former defender said, “Yeah, I love him. I think he is one of the best coaches in the world. So for us, he could be very important.”
Guardiola is exhausted
After almost two decades of managing multiple clubs, it won’t be surprising to know that Guardiola isn’t keen on jumping to his next job yet.
The Catalan manager has managed some of the best teams during his tenure, including FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
He has been the champion in all three nations. However, Guardiola has also reported that he would like to take a break after constantly working in high-pressure environments.
“After my contract with City, I will stop. I don’t know if I will retire, but I will take a break. How I want to be remembered, I don’t know. I think the fans of Barca, Bayern and City had fun watching my teams play,” the Spaniard told ESPN last year.
Italy can still be an option
Guardiola is keen on a break, but he has never counted out managing a national team. In fact, in an interview he did in 2024, the manager explicitly mentioned that a national team post would be of greater interest to him.
This is due to the fact that the pressure isn’t all year round like club football. The national teams only operate during international breaks.
“Yes, it could be, but that’s different. It’s not every day [training], every three days [playing]. I think I would have to stop [from the daily cycle],” Guardiola said on Desmontadito, a podcast by Spanish Michelin-starred chef Dani Garcia.
