Introduction

Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has turned down the opportunity to become the new head coach of the Italy national team.

Reason Behind the Rejection

The Spanish mastermind personally informed Italy’s new technical director, Paolo Maldini, and ambassador Leonardo that personal and family reasons were behind his decision.

Italy pushed hard financially and were prepared to offer around €10 million per season (with special exceptions), but Pep Guardiola was reportedly seeking €20 million per year.

In the end, personal and family reasons led him to turn down the opportunity to become Italy’s new head coach.

What Could Have Happened

If Guardiola had accepted the offer, he would have shattered every historical record and become the highest-paid national team coach in football history.

Currently, Carlo Ancelotti is the highest-paid national team manager after taking charge of Brazil following his incredible spell at Real Madrid.

If Pep Guardiola had accepted the offer, the rankings would have looked like this:

Highest-Paid National Team Managers

Reminder: Pep Guardiola did not accept the offer. The transfer was never completed.

Rank	Manager	National Team	Annual Salary
1	Pep Guardiola	Spain	€20 million (proposed)
2	Carlo Ancelotti	Brazil	~$11.3 million (+ performance bonuses)
3	Julian Nagelsmann	Germany	~$7.9 million
4	Mauricio Pochettino	United States	~$6.8 million
5	Thomas Tuchel	England	~$6.5 million

My Perspective

In my perspective, Pep Guardiola made a smart decision for his managerial career but a poor decision financially.

Becoming Italy’s manager is no longer as prestigious as it once was. Italy have failed to qualify for the last three FIFA World Cups, which is a major concern for any coach.

In my opinion, Pep Guardiola is one of the greatest coaches in football history. However, he has never had to rebuild a struggling national team with limited resources. For that reason, I do not think he is the right coach to make Italy glorious again.

Pep Guardiola’s Managerial Career

Club	Seasons	League
Barcelona B	2007–08	Spanish Segunda División B
Barcelona	2008–2012	La Liga
Bayern Munich	2013–2016	Bundesliga
Manchester City	2016–2026	Premier League

Fan Reactions

Italy fans will tell you their shirt alone attracts the biggest names. Reality check: Pep was offered the job and still said, 'No thanks.' Legacy is history, right now, the project simply isn't convincing enough.

— We_mzee (@Ojiva_shawn) July 24, 2026