What Guardiola’s Man City departure means for Italy national team

Manchester City have formally announced that Pep Guardiola will be stepping down from his role as head coach at the end of the 2025-26 season, but despite the suggestions that he could be tempted by an offer from the Italy national team, it appears that the Spaniard already has a new role lined up.

Guardiola will be leaving Manchester City at the end of the 2025-26 season following 10 seasons at the Etihad Stadium, in which time he won the Premier League six times, the FA Cup three times, the EFL Cup five times and the Champions League, UEFA Super Cub and Club World Cup in 2023.

There have been suggestions in the Italian press over the last few months that Guardiola could be tempted to return to Italy, where he previously played for Brescia and Roma, to fill the vacant national team head coach role.

The CT position has been left vacant since the departure of Gennaro Gattuso shortly after the World Cup play-off final defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of March. A replacement is expected to be appointed after the FIGC Presidential election takes place on June 22.

Guardiola, along with Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri, Simone Inzaghi and Roberto Mancini are among the names that have most regularly been mentioned in connection with the Italy job in the press over the last few weeks.

However, the statement that Manchester City released confirming Guardiola’s departure also mentioned that he will step into an global ambassadorial role with the City Group, the network that owns the club along with Melbourne City, Montevideo City, Troyes, the majority of New York City FC, Palermo and Lommel and holds significant stakes in Girona and Yokohama F. Marinos.

“Pep Guardiola will step down as Manager of Manchester City this summer,” read Manchester City’s statement.

“The Catalan, who joined City in July 2016, has had a transformative effect during his ten years in charge, and will leave having won 20 major trophies – making him the most successful Manager in our history.

“Despite his departure as Manager of Manchester City, Pep will continue his relationship with the City Football Group, by taking up a role as a Global Ambassador. The role will see him giving technical advice to the clubs in the group, working on specific projects and collaborations.”