Leonardo Bonucci Advocates for Pep Guardiola as Italy's Next Coach After World Cup Setback
Call for Change in Italian Football
Madrid [Spain], April 21: Leonardo Bonucci, the former defender for Italy and Juventus, has suggested that Pep Guardiola should take over as head coach of the national team. This recommendation comes in light of Italy's disappointing failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the third consecutive time.
Earlier this month, Italy faced a shocking exit after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a penalty shootout, marking their absence from the World Cup for the third time in a row. The four-time champions last lifted the trophy in 2006 and last participated in the tournament in 2014, missing out on the chance to compete against the world's best players, even with the World Cup expanding to 48 teams. The upcoming tournament is scheduled from June 11 to July 19 and will be co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
Interestingly, during this period, Italy achieved its first-ever qualification for the T20 World Cup in cricket, where they hold associate nation status and are currently ranked 26th globally. Competing in the T20 World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, Italy secured their inaugural victory against Nepal and nearly chased down 203 runs against England, ultimately falling short by 24 runs.
Following the latest World Cup qualifying failure, head coach Gennaro Gattuso has resigned, prompting Italy to search for a new leader.
Bonucci, who has served as a technical coach for the national team, expressed his thoughts, stating, 'If we want a radical change in the national team, I would say the right man for the job is Pep Guardiola. It is very difficult, but dreaming costs nothing.'
Guardiola's contract with Manchester City is set to expire in June next year, and he aims to leave a significant mark as a coach with a national team before his retirement. He has enjoyed remarkable success at the club level, winning 40 major trophies while managing elite European clubs like Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, including three UEFA Champions League titles and a treble with Manchester City in the 2022-23 season.
Currently, Napoli's Antonio Conte and Juventus' Massimiliano Allegri are considered leading candidates for the head coach position in Italian football. The recent failure to qualify for the World Cup has sparked considerable frustration among fans, leading to the resignation of Italian football president Gabriele Gravina amid political pressure. Elections for the FIGC are scheduled for June 2022.
Gianluigi Buffon, the legendary goalkeeper who was part of the 2006 World Cup-winning squad, has also stepped down from his role as the team's delegation chief.
Bonucci emphasized the urgent need for transformation in Italian football, stating that the team must confront the current situation head-on to regain global respect and restore its status as a world champion. He remarked, 'We need to have the courage to face up to what’s happening so that we can regain the respect of the whole world and become that great national team that was world champion.'
'The important thing is to rebuild Italian football, starting from the ground up, beginning with the defense. Italy requires time and a collaboration between politics and football to ensure both progress in the same direction. There are young players with immense talent; we need to nurture them and allow them to develop, starting anew. The only magic formula is time,' he concluded.