Italy recently held talks with former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola to gauge his interest in the coaching vacancy for the men's national team. Photo by Lindsey Parnaby/EPA-EFE
July 24 (UPI) -- Former Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola turned down the opportunity to coach Italy and plans to continue a planned year-long hiatus.
Sources told Sky Sports, ESPN and the BBC about the decision Friday. Guardiola, 55, coached Manchester City for the last 10 seasons. He resigned from that role after the Sky Blues' 2025-26 campaign.
Guardiola won 20 trophies with the Sky Blues, including six Premier League crowns, five League Cups, three FA Cups, three FA Community Shields, a Champions League title, a UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. He also found success as coach at Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
Several other national teams have been linked to the former Sky Blues coach. Italian Football Federation (FIGC) technical director Paolo Maldini confirmed Thursday during a news conference that Italy held talks with Guardiola and Brazil national team coach Carlo Ancelotti.
