“Pep è stato onesto. Ha preso un periodo sabbatico, anche per ragioni familiari, ma se avesse fatto qualcosa lo avrebbe fatto con noi.” That is what Giovanni Malagò told Virgilio about Pep Guardiola after the Italian Football Federation tried to hire the Catalan manager last summer.
Now, as Mauricio Pochettino nears a move to the Manchester United bench, the United States Soccer Federation has placed Guardiola at the top of its shortlist to take over the national team ahead of the 2030 World Cup, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, citing reporting from The Athletic.
The position opened up in the rumor mill because Pochettino is strongly attracted to returning to the Premier League. The Argentine coach extended his contract with the United States through 2030 after the 2026 home tournament, but Old Trafford officials are ready to turn the page.
The pursuit of Guardiola is not entirely new for the American federation. Virgilio reported that U.S. soccer officials previously held talks with both Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp before selecting Pochettino in 2024.
During his sabbatical in New York following his departure from Barcelona, he lived in the city and noted the country’s potential.
“Gli Stati Uniti sono un Paese affascinante in cui cercare di costruire un progetto a lungo termine e riuscire a portare la nazionale al livello successivo,” Guardiola said during a past conference reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Before the United States emerged as a fresh landing spot, the Italian Football Federation made its own aggressive play for the manager during the summer. Paolo Maldini and Leonardo traveled to Barcelona to pitch a wide-ranging project that included both the senior national squad and the broader restructuring of Italian football, Virgilio reported.
Malagò explained that the manager chose to honor his planned break from coaching to spend time with his family after a decade at Manchester City.
Convincerlo non sarà semplice per la federazione. The Athletic said that the former Manchester City boss has shown little desire for an immediate return to the touchline after ten years operating at the peak of European club football.
Still, the combination of his past fondness for New York, previous talks with American officials, and the prospect of building a competitive squad for the 2030 tournament keeps the possibility alive.
According to Malagò, Guardiola declined the Figc proposal from Paolo Maldini and Leonardo to take a personal sabbatical and spend time with his family.
The federation has targeted the build-up toward the 2030 World Cup as the horizon for its next major managerial project.
Virgilio reported that American soccer officials held preliminary discussions with Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp during their initial search that ultimately led to Pochettino.
“Convincerlo non sarà semplice, ma ci sono un paio di fattori che possono far ben sperare per la riuscita dell’operazione,” reported La Gazzetta dello Sport on November 11.