Why Pep Guardiola’s shock Italy coaching link is more realistic than it sounds

Leonardo Bonucci said it half as a joke and half in earnest, but the name he put forward as Italy’s next coach carried real weight: Pep Guardiola.

The former defender is not just another voice in the conversation. He won Euro 2020 with the Azzurri, their most recent major trophy, and until recently worked as an assistant to coach Rino Gattuso.

Now, with Italy once again missing out on the 2026 World Cup and entering another period of uncertainty, Bonucci used a press conference at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid to float a striking idea.

“If there is a real desire to start from scratch, I would begin with the possibility of having Guardiola,” Bonucci said. “That would mean a radical change from everything that has happened. It is very difficult, but dreaming costs nothing right now.”

A “dream” scenario for Italian soccer

The suggestion immediately raised eyebrows across European soccer.

Why would a coach who has won 40 major trophies across Spain and England, and who remains under contract at Manchester City, consider stepping into one of international soccer’s most complex rebuilds?

According to Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, the idea is not completely dismissed in fantasy terms, even if reality tells a different story.

Pep Guardiola still has one year left on his City contract and remains focused on finishing the current season, with two major trophies still in play.

Financially, any move would be close to impossible. His salary package is estimated at around €25 million annually, roughly $29.2 million.

Why Guardiola could be tempted by Italy

Despite the scale of the job, Guardiola’s long-standing connection to Italy continues to fuel speculation.

That relationship dates back to 2001, when he joined Brescia and later Roma during his playing career. It was there he formed a close bond with legendary coach Carlo Mazzone, a figure Guardiola has repeatedly credited as one of the most influential of his life.

Even today, that connection remains visible. Guardiola has returned to Brescia in recent years and was seen as recently as February attending a lower-division Lega Pro match, observing it with the same intensity he would a Champions League knockout game.

For supporters of the idea, that emotional link to Italian soccer is part of what makes the speculation linger, however unrealistic it may be.

Italy at a crossroads again after World Cup failure

Bonucci’s comments land at a critical moment for the Italian Football Federation.

A new president is set to be elected on June 22, and that decision will shape the next national team coach appointment.

The shortlist already includes familiar names such as Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri, and Roberto Mancini. Now, Guardiola’s name has been added to the conversation, even if only in the realm of ambition rather than expectation.

There is also growing talk in European media that Guardiola could be open to a change after a decade at Manchester City, particularly if he completes another Premier League title challenge.

For now, it remains a long shot. But in a country searching for a reset, even the biggest dreams are being said out loud.

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