Andrea Pirlo announced he is no longer a candidate to become Italy’s national football team coach after facing criticism over his professional associations with Russia. While the Italian Football Federation had not formally confirmed his appointment, it was widely expected to proceed until controversy emerged over the weekend.
Pirlo, 47, a former midfielder who played for Internazionale, Juventus, AC Milan and the Italian national team, accepted a role as global ambassador for Russian betting company Fonbet in October. Italian politicians subsequently questioned the FIGC’s choice, with Carlo Calenda of the Azione party stating that anyone promoting Russia after 2022 should not hold national office. European Parliament Vice-President Pina Picierno argued the appointment represented the opposite of the cultural and ethical revolution Italian football required.
The controversy intensified following scrutiny of Pirlo’s participation in a Fonbet event held in Moscow, where he signed autographs at Luzhniki Stadium alongside former teammate Marco Materazzi. The event featured nationalist pro-Kremlin performer Shaman and occurred on the same day as a significant Russian military attack on Ukraine, drawing criticism from Ukrainian athletes. Pirlo also appeared alongside Russian footballer Artem Dzyuba, who has publicly expressed nationalist sentiment regarding the conflict.
In response, Pirlo issued a statement characterizing his Fonbet collaboration as exclusively commercial and sporting in nature, denying any political dimensions. The Russian ambassador in Rome defended Pirlo, expressing regret at his ostracization. The FIGC simultaneously faced additional turmoil when technical director Paolo Maldini and adviser Leonardo resigned following their two-week tenure tasked with rebuilding the team.
The coaching vacancy emerged after Italy’s third consecutive World Cup qualification failure, with the team losing to Bosnia-Herzegovina on penalties in April. The FIGC had previously approached Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti without success. Other candidates reportedly under consideration include Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini, who led Italy to Euro 2020 success before departing to coach Saudi Arabia following Qatar qualification failures.
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