Andrea Pirlo has announced he is no longer a candidate to coach the Italian national football team after several days of controversy surrounding his links to a Russian betting company.

Although his appointment as Italy's next head coach had not been officially confirmed by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), it was widely regarded as nearly certain. However, over the weekend, multiple Italian politicians criticized the FIGC's choice, highlighting that Pirlo, 47, had taken on a role as global ambassador for Russia's Fonbet in October 2025.

Fonbet has sponsored sporting events involving veterans of Moscow's war in Ukraine and organized events in Russia where Pirlo appeared alongside pro-Kremlin figures. Carlo Calenda of the centrist Azione party stated, "Anyone who is or has been promoting Russia after 2022 should not hold national office."

In an Instagram post on Monday morning, Pirlo, a former midfielder for Internazionale, Juventus, AC Milan, and the Italian national team, said, "After learning last night that I am no longer a candidate for the Italian national team, I feel it is my duty to clarify some aspects." He expressed bitterness over the debate surrounding his name and clarified that any "professional collaboration" he undertook as coach for United FC in Dubai "was exclusively of a commercial and sporting nature." He also denied any political beliefs associated with his collaboration.

Pina Picierno, vice-president of the European Parliament, criticized the choice of Pirlo, saying Italian football "desperately needed a cultural, ethical and managerial revolution" and that the selection "goes in the exact opposite direction."

Conversely, the Russian ambassador in Rome, Aleksey Paramonov, expressed support for Pirlo, lamenting that despite his "extraordinary contribution to world sport and to Italy's image around the world," he is now being ostracized in his own country.

Italian media reports suggest that other candidates under consideration for the coaching role include Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini, the latter having led Italy to Euro 2020 victory before resigning after failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup and taking a coaching position in Saudi Arabia.

This controversy adds to the ongoing challenges faced by the Italian Football Federation following Italy's third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup.

Sources