Azzurri and Pep - a temptation taking serious shape

Pep Guardiola is in the thick of one of the most captivating title races in recent memory with Arsenal, hardly the moment for sweeping decisions about the future. And yet, beyond the immediacy of the Premier League run-in, a different narrative is beginning to take shape - one that could come into focus once the season ends.

Despite being under contract with Manchester City until 2027, there exists a gentleman's agreement that would allow Guardiola to walk away as early as this July, without compensation. Should he feel the weight of years at the Etihad and opt for a change, the path is clear. And in Italy, they are watching closely.

After a disastrous period for Italian football, punctuated by failure in World Cup qualifying, the Italian Football Federation is preparing for a reset. A new president will be elected after June 22, and with that, a new head coach for the Azzurri. At the top of the wishlist: Pep Guardiola.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Spaniard would be willing to hear the offer. His future in Manchester, despite the contract, is described as far from certain. More intriguingly, should he decide to leave City, Guardiola is unlikely to take another club job immediately. The preferred route would be a break, an opportunity to decompress after years of relentless pressure. Yet a national team role, with its different rhythm, is viewed as the perfect middle ground: a continuation without the same intensity.

Italy, in that sense, represents both temptation and timing.

Guardiola's connection with Italy runs deeper than passing admiration. As a player, he wore the shirts of Roma and Brescia, forming lasting relationships and immersing himself in the culture. His respect for Italian football has never wavered. As far back as 2018, he refused to rule out the idea of coaching Italy one day, even if he later joked he might prefer to visit on holiday.

Leonardo Bonucci, who recently worked alongside Gennaro Gattuso in the national setup, has openly backed the idea.

"We need a new beginning, and I would start it with Pep Guardiola," he said. "It's very hard, but dreaming doesn't cost a thing."

Financially, the gap is significant. Guardiola earns around €14 million net per season at Manchester City, a figure far beyond what Italy have historically paid - Roberto Mancini, for instance, was on roughly €3 million annually. Yet there is a belief that the equation could be balanced through commercial growth, with Puma - both Italy's technical sponsor and Guardiola's personal partner - potentially playing a pivotal role.

Pep himself has never hidden his curiosity about international football.

"I would like to experience coaching at a World Cup or a European Championship," he said in 2021. "I don't know when, but I want to be there as a national team coach."

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The Brazilian Football Confederation previously approached him, though those talks never materialised into anything concrete.

Now, Italy are not just dreaming, they are positioning themselves.

And while, for now, Guardiola's focus remains firmly on the title race in England, the sense is that a crossroads is approaching. When the season ends, a decision may follow. Whether it leads him away from club football and toward the Azzurri will depend on many factors, but for the first time, the idea feels less like fantasy and more like a genuine possibility.

SERIE A - MATCHDAY 34

Friday

21.45: (1.35) Napoli (4.80) Cremonese (10.0)

Saturday

16.00: (2.10) Parma (3.30) Pisa (3.70)

19.00: (3.00) Bologna (3.30) Roma (2.40)

21.45: (2.70) Verona (2.95) Lecce (2.90)

Sunday

13.30: (1.95) Fiorentina (3.50) Sassuolo (3.90)

16.00: (5.00) Genoa (3.60) Como (1.80)

19.00: (7.00) Torino (4.75) Inter (1.45)

21.45: (2.90) Milan (3.35) Juventus (2.60)

Monday

19.30: (4.95) Cagliari (3.50) Atalanta (1.85)

21.45: (2.05) Lazio (3.40) Udinese (4.10)

***odds are subject to change***