Italy Needs a New Manager Fast. Here Are 8 Candidates Who Could Actually Say Yes.

Italy’s dream of handing Pep Guardiola the keys to the national team lasted about as long as a gelato in the Roman sun. The FIGC reached out. Guardiola politely passed. And now the search for Gennaro Gattuso’s full-time replacement is back to square one.

Caretaker boss Silvio Baldini, the 67-year-old U-21 coach, was never going to be the long-term answer. With the Azzurri missing a second straight World Cup and pressure mounting, the federation needs a real hire. The pool of willing candidates is shrinking, but it’s not empty yet. Here’s who might still take the call.

Antonio Conte: The abrasive winner who might have no other choice

It’s been a decade since Conte walked away from Italy after Euro 2016. Since then he’s bounced through Chelsea, Inter, Tottenham and Napoli. He’s about to turn 57 and every Serie A bench is filled for the new season. That leaves the national team as maybe his only realistic option.

Conte is difficult. He rubs people wrong everywhere he goes. But he wins. Italy needs that more than a warm handshake right now.

Roberto Mancini: The guy who already fixed this once

Mancini was the man they turned to after the 2018 World Cup disaster. He won Euro 2020. Then he also missed the 2022 World Cup, which is why he’s not exactly beloved. But he just quit his job at Al Sadd in Qatar a year early, so he’s available. His previous Italy stint produced a 61% win rate. That’s not nothing.

Xavi: The wild card who actually wants the gig

Here’s something you don’t hear every day: a former Barcelona legend openly saying he’d like to coach a national team. Xavi told reporters, My next step could be a national team. I’ll say it openly. This could be a good fit for me. He mentioned wanting more family time and name-dropped the World Cup, Euros, even AFCON. Spain’s job isn’t open. Italy’s is. And Xavi has a track record of trusting young players, which is exactly what Italy needs to rebuild.

Andrea Pirlo: The halo effect might be real

Pirlo’s coaching résumé is thin. He won a Coppa Italia with Juventus, then got fired after one season. After that it’s been Turkey, Serie B and the UAE. Not exactly the stuff of legend. But he’s a 2006 World Cup winner with friends on the FIGC board. Sometimes that’s enough to get a shot.

Thiago Motta: The guy nobody wants to touch since Juve

Funny how one bad year can erase everything. Before Juventus hired and fired him, Motta had Bologna in the Champions League. He earned a reputation as one of Europe’s sharpest young minds. At 43, he might see international management as a smart reset. Italy is playing the underdog role now, and that’s where Motta thrived.

Rudi Garcia: The guy who’s already done this (twice)

Garcia is not Italian, which matters less than you’d think. He managed Roma and Napoli in Serie A, and he just finished a stint with Belgium at the World Cup. The results were mixed both times, but he knows the league and he knows international ball. He’s available.

Raffaele Palladino: The young guy with new ideas

Palladino is only 42 and out of work after stops at Monza, Fiorentina and Atalanta. He doesn’t have a ton of experience, but he kept Monza in Serie A and didn’t embarrass himself at the bigger clubs. Italy could do worse than hiring a guy who’s still learning on the job.

Fabio Cannavaro: Another World Cup winner, currently coaching Uzbekistan

Cannavaro led Uzbekistan at the 2026 World Cup and they lost to Egypt. Before that he coached in China and had brief stints at Benevento and Udinese. He’s still under contract, but Italy could try to bring him home. The pressure would be different. So would the scrutiny. But he’s got internal support.

None of these names are Guardiola. That ship has sailed. Italy needs to pick one of them and get on with it. Because the next qualifier isn’t waiting around.