Russian betting company ties spark resistance to appointing Pirlo as Italy coach
Andrea Pirlo's role as an ambassador for a Russian bookmaker has sparked objections, with politicians speaking out against appointing the World Cup winner as Italy's head coach.
GDANSK : Andrea Pirlo’s possible appointment as Italy’s head coach has hit political resistance over his commercial ties to a Russian betting company. The 47-year-old World Cup winner had emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Gennaro Gattuso after former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reportedly turned down the position.
However, key figures in the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Italian parliamentarians are now weighing up the fallout from Pirlo’s role as a global ambassador for Russian bookmaker Fonbet.
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- Source
- Free Malaysia Today
- Originally published
- Jul 26, 2026
- Updated here
- Aug 15, 2026
- Produced by
- Malaysia Times desk (brief) — reporting by the source
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