Overview
- Speaking in Madrid on Tuesday, Leonardo Bonucci called Pep Guardiola his dream choice to lead a radical reset of Italy’s national team while conceding the move would be hard to pull off.
- Italy missed the 2026 World Cup for a third straight time, prompting coach Gennaro Gattuso to resign and leading to exits by federation president Gabriele Gravina and delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon.
- Guardiola is under contract with Manchester City until June 2027 and has said he wants to manage a national team before retiring, which makes an immediate appointment unlikely.
- With the FIGC presidency vacant until the June 22 vote, U21 coach Silvio Baldini will guide early‑June friendlies against Greece and Luxembourg.
- Bonucci remains in the federation’s technical staff through June to coordinate scouting of young players, as media continue to list Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri as leading domestic options.