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Italy FA president Gabriele Gravina has admitted that the federation is in talks with Pep Guardiola over the vacant national team manager position in an interview with Cronache di Spogliatoio.

Gravina said: “ The choice of the new head coach must be a decision made after discussion and agreement among everyone involved. Of course, there are also financial and budget considerations. In the short to medium term, saying that we need to tighten our belts does not even fully describe the current situation. However, there can be exceptions, such as someone of Guardiola’s stature. For obvious reasons, a candidate like him can be considered a special case.”

“Of course, this does not mean that the move will definitely be successful. I believe that starting this conversation is the right thing to do.  In fact, discussions with others have already begun. There may also be people who prefer to choose a coach representing a different football philosophy.”

“As for choosing between Guardiola, Pirlo or Mancini? The candidate list will obviously not be limited to just these three names. However, the name you mentioned does indeed represent a certain type of profile we are considering.”