Andrea Pirlo, former midfielder for AC Milan and Juventus, became a global ambassador for the Russian betting company Fonbet in October 2025. Photo: Alberto Lingria / ReutersAndrea Pirlo is no longer in contention to coach Italy’s national football team after controversy arose over his ties to Russian bookmaker Fonbet. He had been considered the leading candidate to take over the Italian team after Pep Guardiola declined the role. However, Reuters and Italy’s Sky Sport reported that talks between the coach and the national team had ended, and Pirlo later wrote on Instagram that he was no longer a candidate for the job.“Throughout my career — first as a player and now as a coach — I have always conducted myself in full compliance with the laws of the countries where I have worked and the contracts I have signed. The professional collaboration at the center of the recent controversy arose as part of my work in the United Arab Emirates and is exclusively of a commercial and sporting nature. To attribute a political meaning to this collaboration is to ascribe to me beliefs that I have never expressed and that do not reflect who I am…I regret that a decision of a sporting nature was so quickly dragged into a public debate that ended up attributing to me meanings and intentions that do not belong to me.”Pirlo became a global ambassador for Fonbet in October 2025. Under the partnership, he was tasked with representing the betting company in international markets, taking part in its events, and helping promote Russian sport. Fonbet said at the time that the contract with the well-known Italian footballer was meant to show that global stars were willing to work with Russian companies despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.“The signing of a figure such as Andrea Pirlo is an undeniable victory not only for Fonbet but for all Russian sport,” the company said. “It is extremely important for us to show that even in conditions of almost complete isolation, world-class stars are ready to openly cooperate with Russian companies and help promote and popularize domestic sport both inside Russia and abroad. Thanks to this cooperation, we will be able to raise the prestige of our domestic competitions, gain a new audience, and inspire people not only in Russia and the CIS, but around the world. We are confident that each of his visits to Russia will be a true celebration for thousands of fans.”Pirlo’s trip to Moscow this past May brought additional criticism. Together with fellow 2006 World Cup winner Marco Materazzi, the former AC Milan and Juventus midfielder took part in a gala match and autograph session during Football Day at Luzhniki Stadium, then attended the Super Final of the Russian Cup between Spartak Moscow and Krasnodar, an event sponsored by Fonbet. The visit took place amid another wave of Russian strikes on Ukraine, drawing outrage from Ukrainian athletes and European politicians.Pina Picierno, a vice president of the European Parliament, openly opposed Pirlo’s appointment as coach of Italy’s national team, saying the footballer had “lent his authority to an operation to normalize Putin’s regime.” Picierno called Pirlo’s choice a “serious mistake”:“It doesn’t matter whether Pirlo is pro-Russian or not. What matters is what he has chosen to do: freely and repeatedly lending his prestige to an effort to normalize Putin’s regime, participating in initiatives exploited by Kremlin propaganda while Ukraine was being bombed. The Italian national team represents Italy to the world. And Italy stands with Ukraine, the European Union, and international law. That is why Pirlo’s decision was a serious mistake.”Carlo Calenda, leader of Italy’s centrist Azione party, told the outlet Adnkronos that people who promoted Russia after 2022 should not hold positions at the national level. Benedetto Della Vedova, former leader of the More Europe party, and Mauro Berruto, who oversees sports for the Italian Democratic Party leadership, also called on Pirlo to give up his contract with Fonbet.After Pirlo’s candidacy was dropped, local media reported that Italy could turn to Roberto Mancini, Antonio Conte, Stefano Pioli, or Raffaele Palladino.Italy last played at the World Cup in 2014 in Brazil, where the four-time champion failed to advance from the group stage. After losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a UEFA playoff final this past April, Italy missed the tournament for the third straight cycle, extending one of the deepest crises in the national team’s history.