After ten fantastic years for the ultimate money club Manchester City and before that extreme success with both Bayern Munich and Barcelona, Pep Guardiola, like Liverpool legend Jürgen Klopp, has decided to take a break.
While Jürgen Klopp, who by the way is deeply missed in the Premier League after two years as a football tycoon, is on his way to take over the national team manager’s job in Germany, there is a lot of work being done to tempt Pep Guardiola to take over another former football superpower! – Italy.
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From each side of the pitch in the Premier League, Jürgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola can each represent their own country in the battle for Euro gold in 2028.
A lot has to fall into place before that, Italy, who have failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row, have brought in some of the country’s biggest guns to make sure it never happens again.
Legends Paolo Maldini and Leonardo are in place. Now they will find the man who will lead Italy towards the World Cup in 2030.
Antonio Conte? Roberto Mancini? Pep Guardiola? Or maybe Andrea Pirlo? All the names are on the table. However, who will be the next Azzurri coach?
The Italian Federation knows it will be difficult to sign Pep Guardiola, not only is he “next in line” to take over the national team manager’s job in his native Spain, he really needs a break to find motivation. – But, with two legends he really admires in place, for Italy who really need his help, Rai1 believes the chance of a yes has increased significantly.
The announcement is likely to come soon. The first game has already been played, and now the next chapter is opening. In the hours leading up to the white smoke around Paolo Maldini and Leonardo, the two men of providence gave life to deep reflections on the future of Italy’s bench.
When Leonardo is involved, the banality disappears. And when Paolo Maldini is present, the circle closes. Expecting a piece of news – in this case, an inconvenient third party – is not a fantasy game.
Maldini and Leonardo: Two profiles that complement each other
Maldini, who recently returned to the national team in a central role, has already shown why he is the right man to lift Italy. Together with Leonardo, his old Milan colleague, he forms a team that unites footballing weight with vision and drive.
Now the two will choose the coach who will lead the Azzurri towards 2030.
Antonio Conte: The clubs’ first choice
Antonio Conte is the coach the clubs would choose without hesitation. The clubs have no formal right in the case, but their indications carry weight – especially because they have also opened up for financial support to cover a possible salary outside the Football Association’s budget.
How this will be solved has not yet been defined, but the will is clear. It marks a breaking point in relation to the past – even recently.
Conte would surely have an immediate impact on the national team. At the same time, a project with the World Cup in 2030 as a contractual goal would allow him to plan like never before. A deal of four million euros a year over four years would dance on his table.
Mancini: Personal relationship with Malagò – but then came the “betrayal”
In the challenge of personal relations with Federal President Giovanni Malagò, Roberto Mancini beats everyone. The bond between them has lasted a long time and is solid. Here, however, Malagò does not decide alone.
Mancini’s profile is weighed down by the “betrayal” of August 2023 – the obscene offer from Saudi Arabia that he accepted, thus leaving Italy in the middle of a vulnerable period. The arrival of Spalletti helped mitigate what was perceived as a collective trauma.
Mancini is accompanied by unpredictability in talent and intuition – qualities that fit well with Maldini and Leonardo’s personal stories. But that may not be enough.
Guardiola: The dream of a revolution
Credibility, charisma – and Guardiola. The choice of Pep Azzurro became a suggestion even before his departure from Manchester City. If you really want to give life to a revolution that marks the break with what we have been, you need the coach who knows how to make revolutions.
From proposal to idea, the rise was short. Now that Maldini and Leonardo have taken over the control room, the idea may take on a deeper meaning. Why not give it a try? Why not move past the cumbersome obstacle of engagement?
Leonardo, as sporting director of PSG, took it in his head to bring Leo Messi to Paris – and succeeded. PSG had, and has, financial resources from another planet, but Leonardo also has a football vision that can fascinate and attract bench players like Guardiola.
Pep comes from a pharaonic contract – approximately €25 million gross per season for the final dance in Manchester. But he has always said that challenges lead him. Bringing Italy back to where it belongs is a task of no small importance.
Pirlo and Ancelotti – and others
There are also those who mention Andrea Pirlo. This is a proposal related to Leonardo’s desire to take him to Paris as early as 2017.
And there are those who scroll through the list of free agents or small, big fools: Carlo Ancelotti, who could break with Brazil after the World Cup disappointment, and turn up in Rome.
Conte. Mancini. Guardiola. Pirlo. Ancelotti. The choice is theirs. Now it remains to be seen who will be given the task of leading Italy towards the future.
UEFA European Football Championship 2028! will be the 18th UEFA European Championship, the four-year international football championship for European teams. It will be co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, and will take place from 9 June to 9 July 2028.
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