Former Italy national midfielder Andrea Pirlo has confirmed that his proposed appointment as the country’s head coach has been called off following political concerns over his role as a global ambassador for Russian bookmaker Fonbet.
The 47-year-old’s links with the betting company prompted criticisms and objections from some Italian Football Federation officials and politicians, mostly aggravated by the ongoing four-year Russia-Ukraine war.
Defending his association with the betting company, the 2006 World Cup winner, in a post on Instagram on Monday, said, “After learning last night that I am no longer the candidate to lead the Italian national team, I believe it is my duty to clarify a few points.
“In the last few days I have witnessed with great bitterness the debate that has developed around my name and the possibility of taking over the role of head coach of the Italian national team.
“During my career, first as a football player and now as a coach, I have always carried out my activity in full respect to the laws of the countries I worked in and the contracts I signed.”
The incumbent manager of UAE Pro League club United FC in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, explained that he signed the ambassadorial agreement with the betting company in October exclusively for commercial and sporting reasons.
The former Azzurri star, whose proposed appointment had the backing of the new Italian football federation technical director, Paolo Maldini, stated, “To attribute a political meaning to such a collaboration means to attribute convictions that I have never expressed and that do not belong to me.”
Politicians who condemned the proposed appointment included the vice-president of the European Parliament, Pina Picierno; the head of the Italian Senate and a member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party, Ignazio La Russa; as well as the leader of the Azione party, Carlo Calenda.
While Mr La Russa said on Saturday, “Of course I am an Italy fan , and Pirlo was a great champion, but as a coach, it is a leap in the dark,” Mr Calenda insisted that “Anyone who is or has been promoting Russia after 2022 should not hold national office.”
On his part, Mr Picierno disclosed on social media that “After yet another defeat and another missed World Cup qualification, Italian football desperately needed a cultural, ethical and managerial revolution. The choice of Andrea Pirlo goes in the exact opposite direction.”
The latest development followed the refusal by a former Manchester City and Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola, as well as Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti, to assume the position to replace Gennaro Gattuso, who failed to qualify the team for the just-concluded 2026 World Cup.