Pirlo is under fire over his role as global ambassador for Russian betting giant Fonbet
Italy’s search for a national team coach has been thrown into turmoil after football legend Andrea Pirlo was forced to abandon his candidacy after scrutiny of his commercial ties to a major Russian betting company.
Pirlo announced on social media on Monday morning that he had been informed he was no longer in the running for the job.
The controversy comes at a sensitive moment for Italian football, as after failing to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time, the appointment of the next national team coach has become one of the most crucial decisions facing the Italian Football Federation.
At the centre of the row is Pirlo’s role as global ambassador for Fonbet, Russia’s largest sports betting company.
