Pep Guardiola declines offer to coach Italy national team

Pep Guardiola has rejected an offer from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to become the next head coach of Italy's national team, delivering his final decision overnight, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The newspaper said Guardiola informed the federation that he intends to take a break after concluding his tenure at Manchester City, Caliber.Az reports.

“I’m honored, but I don’t feel ready.”

Following Guardiola's decision, Andrea Pirlo has emerged as the leading candidate to take charge of the Italian national team.

🔴 Pep Guardiola refuse la proposition de la FIGC de devenir le nouveau sélectionneur de l’Italie, le technicien a donné sa réponse définitive dans la nuit. Il veut faire une pause après son départ de City : “Je suis honoré, mais je ne me sens pas prêt”. Andrea Pirlo est… pic.twitter.com/n2AzQFWwNo

— Guillaume Pacini (@Guillaumemp) July 24, 2026

The 55-year-old managed Manchester City from 2016 to 2026, guiding the club to six Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League trophy, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, the FA Community Shield, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Before joining Manchester City, Guardiola enjoyed highly successful spells with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, winning numerous domestic and international trophies with both clubs.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov