Andrea Pirlo's Appointment as Italy Coach in Doubt Over Russia Links

Andrea Pirlo's appointment as head coach of the Italian men's national football team is jeopardized by his links to Russia, several Italian newspapers including "La Gazzetta dello Sport", "Corriere della Sera", and "La Repubblica" report.

Pirlo is an ambassador for the Russian gambling company "Fonbet" and recently visited Moscow for a public event organized by the Russian Football Federation. He also coaches the United Arab Emirates club Dubai's United FC, owned by Russian billionaire Sergey Lomakin, who is also associated with the Latvian champion Riga. In July, Pirlo held a training camp with United FC at Riga's home base "Baltic Sports Village" in Piņķi.

The Italian Football Federation's (FIGC) new president Giovanni Malago is currently examining and evaluating Pirlo's ties to Russia. The 47-year-old was expected to replace his former Italy teammate Gennaro Gattuso, who stepped down in April after Italy again failed to qualify for the World Cup.

It is estimated that Pirlo, a key player in Italy's 2006 World Cup victory in Germany, would sign a four-year contract with the aim of qualifying for the 2030 World Cup.

During his playing career, Pirlo won four Serie A titles with Juventus, as well as one Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana. He also played for Brescia, Inter Milan, AC Milan, and the US club New York City FC. With AC Milan, he won the UEFA Champions League twice, Serie A, the UEFA Super Cup, and once each the Coppa Italia and FIFA Club World Cup. For the Italian national team, he made 116 appearances and scored 13 goals.

After retiring, Pirlo coached Juventus, Sampdoria, and the Turkish club Istanbul Fatih Karagumruk, without notable success.