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- Former Man City boss Pep Guardiola is among the favourites to take over as the Italy manager
- Guardiola won 20 trophies at the Etihad Stadium across 10 years before leaving Man City in May
- Catalan seen as a dream candidate for the Italian Football Federation but doubts loom over wages
Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been the subject of discussions around the vacancy for the Italy national team job, according to new reports.
Guardiola led a revolution at the Etihad Stadium across a decade, during which he averaged two trophies per season and helped City win their first-ever UEFA Champions League title and Treble.
The 55-year-old shaped a generation of football built off a possession-based style that was so simple yet near-impossible to replicate, all while dominating the world’s most competitive league.
In what was an incredibly raw and emotional video, Guardiola said his goodbyes to City fans towards the end of May before taking part in a bittersweet farewell at the Etihad on the final day of last season.
Since his departure, Enzo Maresca has been announced as the Catalan’s successor, while Guardiola undertook a global ambassador role within the City Football Group.
However, even when reports suggested that Guardiola was on his way out a couple of weeks before he officially confirmed his exit, he was linked heavily with international jobs across Europe.
One of them was the Italian national team, which has drawn plenty of attention after they failed to qualify for their third consecutive FIFA World Cup campaign, despite winning it for the fourth time in 2006. Guardiola could well be their next boss, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Antonio Conte and the former City manager Roberto Mancini are also in the conversation for the role, yet if it’s down solely to footballing achievement and the potential to bring success back to Italy, there is surely only one answer.
Paolo Maldini, one of Italy’s greatest ever players, was appointed technical director of the Italian Football Federation and the president of Club Italia last week, and is determined to appoint a top manager.
In May, Guardiola admitted to friends that he would love to manage England one day, yet other international jobs have loomed throughout his post-City career so far, including Spain and Brazil vacancies.
The most prominent barrier, really, is his wage, which would require Serie A clubs to contribute towards, though that may still not be enough to lure the Catalan, who is expected to desire a similar £21 million fee that was paid to him during his final season with the Citizens.
Still, Guardiola is considered a dream candidate for the role, and so the Italian Football Federation have a big decision to make. Spend the money, or settle for less.
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Source: Cityxtra.co.uk
