- New claims have surfaced involving Pep Guardiola
- The City manager continues to attract major interest
- Previous comments add intrigue to the situation
Pep Guardiola’s long-term future has once again become a talking point after fresh reports suggest a major football nation could be keeping close tabs on the Manchester City manager.
Pep Guardiola’s future remains uncertain despite a contract running till the summer of 2027. The Catalan last signed an extension in 2024, and no new updates regarding a renewal have been reported.
In fact, it’s quite the opposite; multiple sources see Guardiola’s future away from the club. Nevertheless, an exit might be closer than fans would imagine.
Guardiola’s contract runs till 2027, but that doesn’t stop the gaffer from leaving early. With latest reports suggesting an exit this summer, a national team job might be on the books for the six-time Premier League winner.
Pep Guardiola among the candidates for Italy job
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Guardiola is a candidate under consideration for the Italian national team gig.
After Gli Azzurri’s draw against Bosnia, they went on to lose 1-4 on penalties. This marked their third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup.
Manager Gennaro Gattuso stepped down as the national team’s manager, and the federation is now looking for a replacement.
Leonardo Bonucci had addressed these links
It wasn’t surprising when Italian football legend Leonardo Bonucci talked about Guardiola possibly managing Italy just a few days ago.
The former defender served under Gattuso as his assistant coach. While most of the staff members have left their jobs following Gattuso’s departure, Bonucci still has other active roles with FIGC.
The Euro 2020 winner is also the assistant coach of Italy’s U20 team, and is involved in some developmental projects with the Italian federation.
Will Guardiola take the job?
Even if Guardiola is set on leaving the Etihad this summer, the chances of him actually taking the Italy job aren’t that high.
The manager previously admitted to feeling burnt out after almost two decades of managing top football clubs.
However, Italy doesn’t have much time. Even if they failed to qualify for the World Cup, the UEFA Nations League fixtures are waiting for them in September.
