Pep Guardiola (foto: Posnetek zaslona)
Italy is searching for a new head coach after another major disappointment, and growing speculation suggests Pep Guardiola has become the federation's ultimate dream appointment.
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Italian football finds itself at another crossroads. After missing a third World Cup, the pressure to rebuild the national team has reached a new level, and many believe the time has come for a bold decision rather than another familiar appointment.
The first task is finding a new head coach.
So far, Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini have been regarded as the leading candidates. Both know the national team inside out, but neither would represent a major change in direction.
Italy's ambitions have risen with the appointment of Paolo Maldini as the new technical director, supported by Leonardo. The pair are expected to oversee a wider rebuilding project aimed at restoring the Azzurri to the top of international football.
That has led Italian media to dream about a name that would have seemed impossible only a few weeks ago.
Could Pep Guardiola become Italy's next national team coach?
On paper, the obstacles are obvious. Guardiola has spent his managerial career leading elite clubs such as Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, winning trophies while earning one of the highest salaries in world football. The Italian federation would struggle to match those financial terms.
Yet international football offers something money cannot buy, a completely different challenge.
Guardiola already has a connection with Italy after spending part of his playing career in Serie A. While he never coached in Italian football, the country has always held a special place in his football education.
His long-time rival Jürgen Klopp has already taken a new path by leaving club management and moving toward international football with Germany. Guardiola, who departed Manchester City at the end of last season, now faces a similar career crossroads.
For Italy, appointing Guardiola would represent far more than hiring one of the greatest coaches in history. It would signal a complete change in philosophy after years of disappointment and repeated failures on football's biggest stage.
For now, the idea remains only speculation. But with Maldini leading a new era, Italian football is dreaming bigger than ever.