Pirlo Steps Back from Italy Job After Controversy Over Russian Betting Link

Andrea Pirlo has announced that he is no longer a candidate to coach the Italian national football team, following days of controversy over his ties to a Russian betting company. The former Juventus and AC Milan midfielder was widely expected to be appointed as the next head coach of the Azzurri, but the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) had not officially confirmed the selection.

Over the weekend, several Italian politicians criticised the FIGC's choice, noting that Pirlo, 47, had taken up a role as global ambassador for Russia's Fonbet last October. The company has sponsored events involving veterans of Russia's war in Ukraine and organised gatherings in Russia where Pirlo appeared alongside pro-Kremlin figures.

Hours later, Italian football faced further turmoil as reports emerged that two senior FIGC figures, Paolo Maldini and Leonardo, had decided to resign. Maldini had been appointed technical director just over two weeks ago, and along with Leonardo, he was tasked with rebuilding the team after three consecutive failures to qualify for the World Cup.

In an Instagram post on Monday, Pirlo expressed disappointment over the debate surrounding his name. He stated that any professional collaboration he undertook in Dubai was 'exclusively of a commercial and sporting nature,' and denied any political meaning behind his work. 'To assign a political meaning to that collaboration means ascribing to me beliefs which I have never expressed and that do not belong to me,' he wrote.

Pina Picierno, a vice-president of the European Parliament, had earlier said that Italian football 'desperately needed a cultural, ethical and managerial revolution' and that the choice of Pirlo 'goes in the exact opposite direction.' In contrast, the Russian ambassador in Rome, Aleksey Paramonov, expressed support for Pirlo, calling the criticism 'saddening.'

Scrutiny of Pirlo's ties to Fonbet intensified after he participated in a Moscow event at Luzhniki Stadium last spring, where he and former teammate Marco Materazzi signed autographs. The event also featured a performance by nationalist pro-Kremlin pop star Shaman, who has supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian skeleton slider Vladyslav Heraskevych criticised Pirlo for appearing alongside Russian footballer Artem Dzyuba, who had declared pride in being Russian after the war began. Heraskevych said, 'It's sad to see childhood legends turn into moral bankrupts.'

The Italian football community has been undergoing soul-searching after the team failed to qualify for a third World Cup. Earlier this year, Italy's loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina led to coach Gennaro Gattuso's resignation and a reshuffle of FIGC leadership. Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti were also approached but declined. Other names now being considered include Antonio Conte.