There was a time when managing Italy was considered one of the most prestigious positions in world football.
The coach of the Azzurri knew that they were inheriting a team with four World Cup victories, a deep tactical tradition and supporters who expected their national side to compete with the best in the world.
Yet the position has remained vacant since Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, meaning they have now missed three consecutive tournaments after also failing to reach Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. For a country with Italy’s football history, that represents a remarkable decline.
The challenge facing the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) is not simply finding a coach. It is finding someone willing to accept the scale of the task.
The names linked with the vacancy highlight the problem. Italy explored the possibility of Carlo Ancelotti and then considered the extraordinary prospect of Pep Guardiola. When those options disappeared, attention turned towards Andrea Pirlo, one of their greatest players, only for that process to become complicated by controversy and internal disagreements.
The next manager will not inherit the side that lifted the World Cup in 2006, featuring legends such as Pirlo, Paolo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro, Francesco Totti and Gianluigi Buffon. The European Championship victory in 2020 suggested Italy had rediscovered their identity, but that success now appears to have been a false dawn.
The current squad contains talented players, but there is no obvious collection of superstars capable of carrying the team through difficult moments. Attacking options remain a particular concern.
Whoever takes the role must rebuild the team, develop a new identity and restore confidence, while working with players for only limited periods during international breaks.
Ancelotti was the dream appointment. Few coaches understand Italian football better, and his experience at the highest level would have made him the safest possible choice. However, timing was the issue. Ancelotti was already committed to Brazil and remains determined to complete his contract.
His situation also demonstrated a wider problem facing national teams. Unlike clubs, they cannot simply wait for their preferred candidate to become available.
Guardiola represented a different kind of ambition. His work at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City transformed modern football, and his possession-based philosophy would have offered Italy a completely new direction.
However, there were always obstacles. Guardiola is accustomed to daily involvement, control over recruitment and constant tactical development. International football offers prestige, but far less time with players. Financially, Italy would also struggle to compete with the world’s richest clubs.
After Guardiola declined, Pirlo emerged as the preferred candidate of Paolo Maldini and Leonardo. This was not simply a sentimental choice based on his achievements as a player. His coaching thesis, Il calcio che vorrei (“The Football I Would Like”), outlined a vision of proactive, possession-based football built around technical quality, tactical flexibility and intelligent players capable of adapting to different roles.
In many respects, Pirlo represented more than a managerial appointment. He represented a possible blueprint for rebuilding Italian football.
The concern was experience. His spell at Juventus lasted only one season, and although he won the Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup, questions remained about whether he was ready for such a demanding international role.
The process was then complicated by controversy surrounding Pirlo’s commercial relationshipwith a Russian betting company. Although Pirlo insisted there was no political connection, the issue delayed the appointment and contributed to his eventual withdrawal.
The episode also exposed tensions within Italian football’s leadership, with Maldini and Leonardo reportedly unhappy at interference in a decision they strongly supported.
Ultimately, Italy’s problems cannot be solved simply by appointing the right coach. The national team’s struggles reflect deeper issues: Serie A’s declining commercial strength, stadium problems, financial difficulties and concerns over producing enough elite Italian talent.
The next manager is therefore not taking charge of a team needing minor adjustments. They are inheriting a long-term rebuilding project.
The prestige of the Italy job remains. The history remains. The supporters remain passionate.
But the next coach will not simply be leading the Azzurri.
They will be attempting a rescue mission.
