Football
Football
Pirlo Out of Italy Coaching Race Amid Controversy Over Russian Ties
Andrea Pirlo has confirmed he is no longer a candidate for the Italian national team head coach position, a decision that follows a weekend of intense scrutiny over his association with a Russian company. The former Azzurri midfielder, 47, had been widely expected to take the role, despite no official confirmation from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).
The controversy stemmed from Pirlo’s role as a global ambassador for a Russian company, since last October. This connection drew criticism from several Italian politicians, who highlighted the company’s sponsorship of events involving veterans of the conflict in Ukraine and Pirlo’s appearances alongside pro-Kremlin figures in Russia. Carlo Calenda of the centrist Azione party stated that anyone promoting Russia after 2022 should not hold national office.
Pirlo addressed the situation on Monday via Instagram, stating he learned Sunday night that he was no longer a candidate. He expressed “great bitterness” over the debate, asserting that his “professional collaboration” in his capacity as coach for United FC in Dubai was “exclusively of a commercial and sporting nature.” He added that assigning a political meaning to his work was attributing beliefs he has never expressed and that do not belong to him.
Despite the backing of the new FIGC technical director, Paolo Maldini, for Pirlo’s appointment, the political pressure proved too significant. Pina Picierno, a vice-president of the European Parliament, had previously commented that Italian football needed a “cultural, ethical and managerial revolution,” suggesting Pirlo’s selection went in the “exact opposite direction.”
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