In 2001, he moved to Bulgaria to join Luigi Simoni at CSKA Sofia, working alongside him also in his following experiences at Ancona, Napoli and Siena.

In 2009, he left Sampdoria to become new Primavera coach at Inter, managing to win a Torneo di Viareggio championship in 2011.

He left Inter in the summer of 2011 to accept the head coaching position of ambitious Serie B side Sassuolo, guiding the small Emilian club into the race for a historical promotion to the Italian top flight, coming up to the semifinal playoffs.

Later he was appointed as head coach of bottom-placed Serie B club Juve Stabia in November 2013, where he failed to turn the team's fortunes and was sacked shortly thereafter.

[6] On 13 June 2022 Pea was announced as the head coach of newly promoted Bulgarian First Professional Football League club, FC Hebar Pazardzhik.