Italy: 115 days without a head coach, the Nazionale still at an impasse

One hundred and fifteen days. That’s how long it’s been since Gennaro Gattuso left the Nazionale bench, and Italy still hasn’t found a new manager. With the Nations League looming on the horizon, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) remains stuck in a saga that’s quickly becoming an institutional crisis.

Gattuso stepped down on April 3, 2026, the day after Italy’s elimination in the playoffs against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which cost the Nazionale a place at the 2026 World Cup. His departure was part of a major shake-up at the top of Italian football, with Gabriele Gravina resigning as FIGC president and Gianluigi Buffon stepping down as delegation director.

Since then, it’s been a game of musical chairs, paralyzing the national team’s rebuilding efforts. Paolo Maldini, who arrived as the federation’s technical director alongside advisor Leonardo, has held countless talks but failed to close any deals.

A string of rejections and plot twists

Maldini and Leonardo’s first choice was Pep Guardiola. Free after a decade at the helm of Manchester City, the Catalan tactician met with Italian officials, but no agreement was reached: the Spanish coach primarily wanted to take a break from management.

The focus then shifted to Andrea Pirlo, then manager of Dubai United. The 2006 World Cup winner seemed on the verge of terminating his contract to take over the Nazionale. But the move collapsed this weekend: a sponsorship deal linking Pirlo to Fonbet, a Russian sports betting company, sparked a wave of criticism amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. FIGC president Giovanni Malago, long opposed to Pirlo’s appointment, ultimately scuppered the deal. Pirlo himself confirmed the news on social media, saying he learned Sunday evening that he was no longer a candidate.

The direct consequence: Paolo Maldini is now seriously considering resigning, which would plunge the federation even deeper into uncertainty just weeks before crucial fixtures.

Other names have been floated and approached without success: Antonio Conte, available since leaving Napoli and seen as more experienced by sections of the Italian press, as well as Massimiliano Allegri, Claudio Ranieri, and even Didier Deschamps have all been mentioned in the Italian media rumor mill.

A reminder of the 2017-2018 precedent

Italy has faced a longer vacancy in the past. After Giampiero Ventura was sacked in November 2017, following the failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup against Sweden, it took until Roberto Mancini’s appointment on May 14, 2018—almost six months of interim management by Gigi Di Biagio. The current 115-day gap still falls short of that record, but with every week that passes without a new name, the Nazionale edges closer to that grim precedent.

Time is quickly running out. The Nations League is drawing near, and Italy will need a stable coaching staff if they want to avoid another episode of sporting turmoil after the humiliation of missing the World Cup. With a ship lacking a captain and a federation without steady leadership, the Squadra Azzurra continues to sail through stormy waters.

Nouya M'toama

Editorfr, en

Versatile journalist specializing in sports and political news, with extensive experience across radio, print and digital media platforms.