The Office of the President commented on the failure to appoint Pirlo as coach of the Italian national team
The Office of the President of Ukraine stated that the decision not to appoint legendary soccer player Andrea Pirlo as head coach of the Italian national team due to his ties to Russian business sends an important and clear signal to the entire world.
Collaboration with Russian businesses subject to sanctions closes the door to civilized sports and irreversibly destroys the reputation of even the most famous sports stars.
Source: sport.rbc.ua.
Former Italian national team soccer player Andrea Pirlo stated that he is no longer a candidate for the position of head coach of the national team. According to him, he learned of the withdrawal of his candidacy the day before. According to media reports, the decision was made after Pirlo’s collaboration with the Russian betting company Fonbet drew public attention. In the fall of 2025, he became the brand’s global ambassador, and in May 2026, he visited Moscow to participate in the company’s events, including the Russian Cup final.
As a reminder, the Ukrainian 7-a-side national soccer team won the European championship title for the first time in history. In the final match of the continental championship, the “blue-and-yellows” defeated the tournament hosts—the Italian team.
