The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) faces a significant financial hurdle if they wish to bring Pep Guardiola to manage the national team. According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Guardiola’s salary demands are beyond the federation’s current budget. Therefore, securing financial assistance from sponsors would be essential, a strategy previously employed when Antonio Conte was appointed.
Manchester City’s current coach, Pep Guardiola, has emerged as a potential candidate for the Italian national team’s coaching role.
Gazzetta indicates that Guardiola would be open to considering an offer from the FIGC, which is set to elect a new president on June 22, succeeding Gabriele Gravina.
Guardiola’s annual salary at Manchester City is approximately €14 million net, plus bonuses, a figure that is clearly unmanageable for the FIGC. Consequently, any attempt by Italy to recruit Guardiola would necessitate substantial financial backing from sponsors.
This scenario is not unprecedented for the Azzurri. In the past, half of Antonio Conte’s €4.1 million salary during his tenure from 2014 to 2016 was covered by an FIGC sponsor, Puma, which also has a current commercial partnership with Guardiola.
La Gazzetta dello Sport also notes that Roberto Mancini was the highest-earning Italy coach in recent years, securing a new contract worth €3 million per year after the team’s Euro 2021 victory. His successor, Luciano Spalletti, earned €2.8 million, while Giampiero Ventura’s salary was €1.5 million, and Gennaro Gattuso received €800,000 for his nine-month period in charge.
