Pirlo's Italy Bid Collapses Over Russian Betting Firm Sponsorship

A coaching dream that died in a boardroom, not a dugout

Andrea Pirlo wanted the Italy job. The federation, at least for a time, wanted him back. But the former midfield maestro confirmed this week that he is no longer in contention to coach the Azzurri, and the reason had nothing to do with tactics, results, or coaching credentials.

It was about a logo on a betting app.

Pirlo's long-standing ambassadorial deal with Fonbet, a major Russian sports betting firm, became the fault line that collapsed his candidacy. Several Italian parliamentarians raised alarms over the appointment, arguing that the man representing the national team cannot simultaneously carry a sponsorship from a company tied to a country Italy has sanctioned and opposed in the war in Ukraine.

Italy backs Ukraine. Its coach cannot promote a Russian brand.

The concerns were not subtle. Italian politicians framed the issue in terms of national alignment: Italy backs Ukraine, supplies military aid, and enforces EU sanctions against Russia. A national team coach who earns money promoting a Russian brand, they argued, sends the wrong signal at the wrong time.

Pirlo pushed back, at least partially.

"I have never expressed views on the war."

That was his position, delivered without elaboration. He did not address whether he would sever ties with Fonbet, nor did he signal willingness to renegotiate his personal arrangements to clear the political path. In his view, private commercial dealings and a public football career occupy separate lanes. Italian politics disagreed.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) did not publicly force the issue or defend Pirlo's candidacy against the political pressure. Federations facing a coaching search that doubles as a foreign policy proxy battle tend to cut their losses quietly, and that is what happened here.

Pirlo's Fonbet deal predates the war. It does not predate the scrutiny.

Fonbet is one of Russia's largest bookmakers, operating under a government-regulated framework. Pirlo's deal with the firm predates the Ukraine conflict, but conditions have changed since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Italy's political class has grown increasingly sensitive to any perceived softness toward Moscow, and sports figures are not exempt.

Athletes and coaches across multiple European sports have faced the same pressure over Russian-linked commercial relationships. Some walked away voluntarily. Pirlo did not, and the decision was effectively made for him.

He was not being asked to condemn Russia publicly. He was being asked to stop being paid by a Russian company. In Italian politics right now, that distinction is the only one that matters.

Mancini returns, Ranieri takes oversight role as the FIGC closes its search

The FIGC moved quickly after Pirlo's exit from the race. Federation president Giovanni Malagò confirmed on Tuesday that Roberto Mancini has agreed to return as Italy head coach, taking charge of the Azzurri for a second time.

Mancini replaces Gennaro Gattuso, who left the post in April after Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, a third consecutive miss following the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. Mancini's first spell ran from 2018 to 2023, spanning 58 matches and producing the defining achievement of the modern Azzurri: the Euro 2020 title, sealed with a penalty shootout victory over England at Wembley. A subsequent decline in results, including the failure to reach the 2022 World Cup, contributed to his departure.

Between stints, Mancini managed the Saudi Arabia national team. His club career includes spells at Inter, Fiorentina and Manchester City, where he spent three years and delivered the club's first Premier League title in 2011-12.

The FIGC also announced that Claudio Ranieri will serve as technical director, replacing Paolo Maldini in the overseeing role. Ranieri, who led Leicester City to their improbable Premier League title in 2015-16 and most recently managed Roma, brings decades of top-level experience to a federation looking to rebuild credibility after a turbulent period.

Pirlo's coaching career has been uneven since his single season at Juventus in 2020-21, where he won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana but finished fourth in Serie A and exited the Champions League in the round of 16. He was dismissed at the end of that campaign. A stint at Fatih Karagümrük in Turkey followed, offering limited impact. The Italy job would have been a return to the highest stage, managing the country he served 116 times as a player and helped win the 2006 World Cup.

Instead, the Azzurri bench belongs to a familiar face, with Ranieri alongside him in a structural role. Pirlo remains a Fonbet ambassador.

Updated: 2026-07-28 - Added Roberto Mancini's re-appointment as Italy manager and Claudio Ranieri's naming as technical director, replacing Paolo Maldini, after Gennaro Gattuso's April departure following a third consecutive World Cup qualification failure.