On Friday, it was reported that the Italian Football Federation had shaken hands with Andrea Pirlo on a four-year contract.
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The leaders of Italian football, who failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time, had previously offered the position to other coaches, such as Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti.
When these famous strategists declined, the federation’s sporting director Paulo Maldini turned to A. Pirlo, whose coaching career start was not very successful, but the 47-year-old Italian has legendary status as a former famous footballer.
- A. Pirlo is one of the most talented Italian footballers of all time. In 2006, he helped Italy win World Cup gold.
- During his career, he was one of the leaders for many years in the strongest Italian clubs: “Milan”, Turin “Juventus”, Milan “Inter”.
- In 2020—2021, A. Pirlo began his coaching career and briefly coached “Juventus”.
- After an unsuccessful spell in Turin, he managed several smaller Italian clubs, and most recently coaches the “Dubai United” team in the United Arab Emirates.
However, his chances of coaching the national team are being undermined by his ties with Russia.
A. Pirlo had become a global ambassador for the Russian betting company “Fonbet”.
A. Pirlo had traveled to Russia with another former Italian national team player, Marco Materazzi, and participated in a promotional event at Moscow’s “Luzhniki” stadium.
Since Russia attacked Ukraine and daily drops bombs on cities and civilians, relations between Italy and Russia have been poor.
Some Italian politicians have spoken out strongly about the current situation.
“Money can buy a lot. You can even get a great sports champion to sign autographs in Moscow at the same time as the regime commits war crimes, kills civilians, and intimidates European countries,” said Pina Picierno, Vice-President of the European Parliament.
Another Italian politician, former “Milan” and Italian national football team legendary player Gianni Rivera, stated that A. Pirlo should not have been considered.
“He is not the right person. Because of his ties with Russia, we must be very strict. In this day and age, such a connection poses a risk to the reputation of all Italian football. He could not have been the right person to lead the national team, and I was surprised that anyone could have thought he could. I think and hope that Maldini was unaware of his connections with the Moscow betting company,” said G. Rivera.
On Monday morning, A. Pirlo himself posted a message on social media that sounds like a farewell to a position he had not yet started – at least that’s how “Gazzetta dello Sport” interprets it.
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“Out of respect for the federation and everyone involved, I have remained silent until now. However, last night I learned that I am no longer a candidate to coach the national team. I feel it is my duty to clarify some things.
Throughout my career, as a player and as a coach, I have always adhered to the laws of the country where I worked and the contracts I had signed.
The professional collaboration that has recently caused controversy arose in the context of my career in the United Arab Emirates and is exclusively commercial and sporting in nature. To attribute political significance to this collaboration would be to attribute beliefs to me that I have never expressed and that are not mine. I would like to thank Maldini and Leonardo for their respect and trust. I know of their experience, professionalism, and the love they have always dedicated to Italian football,” wrote A. Pirlo. “I regret that a sporting decision was quickly drawn into a public debate that ultimately attributed meanings and intentions to me that are not mine. My love for Italy does not depend on a position. It is part of my history, my identity, and it will always be with me.”
Earlier, Andriy Shevchenko had condemned the visit of A. Pirlo and several other Italian football legends to Russia.
The Ukrainian football legend, who previously played for “Milan”, stated that he was disappointed by the ties of his former teammates, including A. Pirlo, with the Russian betting company.
Now Italian media reports that the federation is still figuring out what to do.
It is stated that the federation’s president, Giovanni Malago, requested an analysis of the working relationship between A. Pirlo and the Russian betting company.
It is also reported that P. Maldini may resign from his position if A. Pirlo is not confirmed.
Among other possible candidates to coach the national team, Italian media mentions other football specialists: Antonio Conte, Roberto Mancini, Stefano Pioli, Raffaele Palladino, and others.
