Antonio Conte hints at Pep Guardiola’s next role after leaving Man City.

Former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has urged the Italian Football Federation to consider appointing departing Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola as the next head coach of the national team.

Conte announced his departure from Napoli on Sunday after the club finished second in Serie A, 11 points adrift of champions Inter Milan.

The ex‑Chelsea and Tottenham manager has been widely speculated to return to Italy’s national team following the country’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup this summer.

After his final match in charge of Napoli, a 1‑0 home win over Udinese, Conte said that Guardiola would be his preferred choice to lead Italy, which currently has no manager following Gennaro Gattuso’s resignation last month.

He told the media, “People are discussing this. I recall my previous comments regarding the national team, specifically that I would also consider Conte among the candidates. As of today, there is still no president of the federation.”

“Guardiola’s name has been brought up as well, but is the federation prepared to engage a top coach? Having one entails both challenges and achievements.”

“At this point, there is nothing confirmed; I cannot predict what the future holds. If a top coach is desired, my recommendation is Guardiola, but are there sufficient resources?”

Meanwhile, Guardiola bid farewell to Manchester City on Sunday after announcing his decision to leave the club the previous week.

Guardiola is now taking a sabbatical from management after a decade with City, although he has accepted a global ambassadorial position with the City Football Group, CFG.

“This is the appropriate moment. I will not miss it for some time, that is certain,” Guardiola remarked following City’s final match of the season, a 2‑1 loss at home to Aston Villa.