Conte announced on Sunday his departure from Napoli after the team secured second place in Serie A, finishing 11 points behind champions Inter Milan.
The ex-Chelsea and Tottenham manager has been widely speculated to be returning to Italy’s national team following their failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup this summer.
However, after his final match in charge of Napoli, which concluded with a 1-0 victory at home against Udinese, Conte indicated that Guardiola would be his preferred choice to lead Italy, who currently lack a manager after Gennaro Gattuso’s resignation last month.
He stated to 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?”
In the meantime, 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, which ended in a 2-1 loss at home to Aston Villa.