West Ham have announced Rita Guarino as their new Head Coach.
The former Italian international has signed an 18-month contract with the East London club following the departure of Rehanna Skinner. She will take charge of her first match on Sunday 11 January 2026.
The 54-year old arrives in England with a wealth of experience both as a player an a manager. After two years in charge of Italy U17s, she joined Juventus where she enjoyed unprecedented success. She coached Le Bianconere to their first four league titles, two Supercoppa victories and one Coppa Italia. She moved to take up the reins at Inter Milan in 2021 where she remained for three years.
As a player, she was a prolific striker who represented Italy 99 times. She represented her country at the 1991 and 1999 World Cups and 1993, 1997 and 2001 European Championships, finishing as runners-up in both the 1993 and 1997 editions.
“I’m so happy to be joining West Ham United”, she said. “It is a Club with a big history and strong values that align with my own. I’ve spoken with the Board and I’m really excited by the project here. There is a lot of talent and experience in the team, and I want to support the girls to develop as individuals but also as a collective.”
“I want to build a team that is organised, aggressive with the ball and that tries to recognise and use space. The mentality of the team – the togetherness and hard work – is the most important thing. I’m proud to be here and I’m looking forward to the chapter ahead in the best league in the world.”
