Former Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci has thrown his support behind Pep Guardiola as the next national team manager following Italy's failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. Bonucci, who served as an assistant to Gennaro Gattuso, believes Guardiola could bring the "radical change" needed after Gattuso's resignation. The 55-year-old Manchester City boss has often expressed his desire to coach a national team at a major tournament before retirement.

The four-time World Cup winners face a major rebuilding process after federation president Gabriele Gravina resigned and Gianluigi Buffon stepped down as delegation chief. Bonucci, part of Italy's Euro 2021 winning squad, emphasized the need to "rebuild Italian football, starting from the ground up" with focus on defense and nurturing young talent. A new FIGC president will be elected on June 22 as the search for a new manager continues.

Current frontrunners for the vacant position include Napoli's Antonio Conte and Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri. Bonucci stressed the importance of a partnership between politics and football to move in the same direction and regain respect globally. The former defender believes Italy's only path back to prominence requires time and a complete overhaul of their approach to developing talent.