Andrea Pirlo is no longer in contention to become Italy's next head coach following political backlash over his sponsorship deal with Russian betting company Fonbet. Pirlo confirmed the news himself in an Instagram post Monday.
"I heard last night that I'm no longer the candidate for the Italy national team job," said Pirlo.
Several Italian politicians raised concerns about Pirlo's role as an ambassador for Fonbet, arguing the national team coach should not hold conflicting associations given Italy's support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Pirlo pushed back on the criticism, saying the sponsorship was tied to his current coaching position in the United Arab Emirates and carried no political significance.
"Attributing a political significance to that collaboration means attributing beliefs to me that I have never expressed and don't belong to me," said Pirlo. "My love for Italy doesn't depend on a job. It's part of my history, my identity and it will remain forever."
Pirlo had been prepared to leave his job coaching Dubai United to take the Italy role, though he was considered an unpopular choice given underwhelming spells at Juventus and Sampdoria despite his standout playing career, including Italy's 2006 World Cup title. He had emerged as a fallback option after both Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti and former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola turned down the position, which was offered by technical director Paolo Maldini and special adviser Leonardo.
Maldini had preferred Pirlo, his former AC Milan teammate, over other candidates like former Italy coaches Roberto Mancini and Antonio Conte, viewing him as more receptive to promoting younger players within an attacking system. Sources indicate the collapse of the Pirlo option has left Maldini frustrated, with some reports suggesting he could consider stepping down just 16 days into his new role.
Italy has been searching for a new coach since Gennaro Gattuso departed by mutual agreement in April following the team's playoff loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina, a result that extended Italy's streak of missed World Cups to three consecutive tournaments. Mancini and Conte have re-emerged as candidates, while former Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi, currently working in the Saudi Pro League, has also been mentioned as a possibility.
The final decision rests with Italian federation president Giovanni Malago, who took office in June after previously leading the Milan Cortina Olympics organizing committee. Mancini led Italy to the Euro 2020 title before failing to qualify for the following World Cup and later departing for Saudi Arabia's national team. Conte guided Italy to the Euro 2016 quarterfinals and was most recently at Napoli.
The next hire will become Italy's fourth coach in as many years, continuing a turbulent stretch that began when Luciano Spalletti was dismissed after an opening qualifying loss to Norway. Italy's next matches come in September and October, when the team faces Belgium, Turkey and France in the Nations League.


















