Italy's football federation approached both Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti about the national team manager's vacancy before turning to Andrea Pirlo, according to the BBC (BBC Sport). The revelation lands the two most decorated coaches in European football at the top of Italy's wishlist — and raises the question of how close either came to saying yes.

The FIGC, Italy's football federation, has been searching for a permanent appointment since Gennaro Gattuso's contract was terminated by mutual consent in April 2026. Gattuso's departure followed another World Cup play-off failure earlier in the year, extending a drought that has kept Italy away from football's biggest tournament since 2014 (BBC Sport). Italy Under-21 manager Silvio Baldini stepped in on a temporary basis, but the clock is ticking. Italy's Nations League campaign — a competition between European national teams — begins on 25 September at home to Belgium, followed by a trip to Turkey three days later (BBC Sport).

For Italy, the managerial search carries echoes of a recent and painful cycle. Roberto Mancini, now 61, managed the national team from 2018 until his resignation in August 2023. His tenure reached extraordinary heights — Euro 2020 glory against England at Wembley, and a world-record 37-game unbeaten run — but also a stunning low: failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after a play-off defeat by North Macedonia (BBC Sport). That miss, coming just over a year after lifting the European Championship trophy, captured the erratic nature of Italy's post-2018 ride.

Mancini's career since leaving Italy has been nomadic. A short stint managing Saudi Arabia ended when Hervé Renard replaced him in October 2024 (Reuters). He then joined Qatari side Al Sadd, where he won the Qatar Stars League but fell short in the AFC Champions League Elite and lost the Qatar Cup final. He left Al Sadd in June 2026 (BBC Sport).

The federation's interest in Guardiola and Ancelotti tells its own story. Both men sit in the rarest air of club management — Guardiola's Manchester City dynasty and Ancelotti's record haul of European Cups need no introduction. For either to take on a national team, particularly one that has missed three consecutive World Cups, would represent a shift of gear entirely.

Gianluigi Buffon, the legendary goalkeeper who served as head of the Italian national team delegation — a role covering logistics and player welfare — resigned from the position he had held since August 2023 (FIGC). His departure adds another layer of restructuring to an organisation searching for stability on and off the pitch.

For Italian fans, the wait for a permanent manager feels familiar — and the fixture list offers no patience. September brings Belgium and Turkey. Whoever sits in the dugout will need to hit the ground running.