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Manchester City goalkeeper and captain of the Italy national team, Gianluigi Donnarumma, has refused to demand or even discuss the possibility of Pep Guardiola becoming the future head coach of Gli Azzurri.

The position of Italy’s head coach is currently vacant following Gennaro Gattuso’s resignation.

Gattuso decided to step down as head coach of the national team after Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Up to now, no replacement has been officially appointed.

The process is also pending the election of the new president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), scheduled for 22 June.

At present, the Italy national team is being temporarily managed by Silvio Baldini, who also coaches the under-21 squad.

Antonio Conte remains among the leading candidates to take charge of Gli Azzurri.

However, many consider Pep Guardiola to be the dream candidate for the role.

Guardiola has already announced his decision to leave his role as Manchester City’s head coach at the end of the 2025–2026 season.

Although his contract runs until June 2027, the Spanish coach has made up his mind to depart from the club where he has served for a decade.

Following that decision, Guardiola will have the opportunity to take on a new challenge elsewhere.

Reports suggest, however, that he is unlikely to manage another club once he leaves Manchester City.

Instead, he is expected to be open to coaching a national team.

Coincidentally, with Italy’s managerial seat still unoccupied, his name has naturally entered the conversation.

Addressing the speculation, Gianluigi Donnarumma, who serves as both Italy’s captain and City’s first-choice goalkeeper, offered his view.

The former Paris Saint-Germain shot-stopper admitted that working under Pep Guardiola at City has been an extraordinary experience for him.

Nevertheless, his collaboration with the coach at the Manchester-based club has been relatively brief.

When asked about Guardiola’s potential move to lead Italy, Donnarumma made it clear he would not interfere.

He explained that such decisions fall under the authority of the federation president, not the players.

“I really enjoyed my time with the coach; he has made history at City, and I hope he continues to do so,” Donnarumma said in an interview with Football Italia.

“However, his wish is to step away.”

“I haven’t discussed with him the possibility of managing Italy; those decisions are not mine to make, but rather belong to the new president.”

“Of course, whoever takes over must give everything for the Azzurri jersey and strive to achieve our goals,” he concluded.

The Italian national team, however, needs more than just a big-name coach like Pep Guardiola.

The Italy national team has been compared to Arsenal, whose current reputation rests on achievements of the past.

The team requires a figure capable of rebuilding its strength after failing to qualify for the World Cup three consecutive times.

Meanwhile, Guardiola is also reported to be planning a short break from coaching after an intense period at Manchester City.

Outside of that, Italy are preparing for friendly matches against Luxembourg on 3 June and Greece on 7 June.

Baldini has reportedly named a squad largely composed of players he knows well from the youth setup.

Of the 24 players called up, only Donnarumma, Marco Palestra, Niccolo Pisilli, and Pio Esposito have previously played for the senior team.