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Pirlo's Italy coaching bid complicated by Russian betting firm ties
🇧🇴 Bolivia /Culture & Society

Pirlo's Italy coaching bid complicated by Russian betting firm ties

From El Deber · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Andrea Pirlo's potential appointment as Italy's national football coach faces criticism due to his commercial ties with a Russian betting company.
  • Italian politicians have voiced concerns, calling his deal with Fonbet a "grave error" and urging him to end the association.
  • Pirlo's past involvement with Fonbet, including attending events in Moscow, has drawn parallels to supporting the Russian regime, especially after the invasion of Ukraine.

Andrea Pirlo's highly anticipated return to Italian football as the national team coach is now in jeopardy due to his commercial relationship with Fonbet, a Russian sports betting firm. The potential appointment has sparked significant criticism from Italian political figures who argue that Pirlo's endorsement of the company normalizes the Russian regime.

normalized Putin's regime

— Pina PiciernoVice-President of the European Parliament, criticizing Pirlo's ties to the Russian betting company.

Pina Picierno, Vice-President of the European Parliament, stated that Pirlo has "normalized Putin's regime" and that his potential appointment would be a "grave error." Mauro Berrutto, the sports representative for the progressive Democratic Party, expressed hope that Pirlo would renounce his role as the face of Fonbet if appointed, to "end this scandal."

Carlo Calenda, leader of the centrist Action party, emphasized that "anyone who promotes or has promoted Russia after 2022, the year of the invasion of Ukraine, should not hold public office." These criticisms follow Pirlo's attendance at a Fonbet-organized event in Moscow in late May, alongside former footballer Marco Materazzi, during a period of intensified Russian bombings on Kyiv.

end this scandal

— Mauro BerruttoSports representative for the Democratic Party, on Pirlo's potential role as coach and his Fonbet deal.

Pirlo serves as a global ambassador for Fonbet, which is reportedly owned by Russian oligarch Sergey Lomakin, also the president of United FC, the UAE second-division team Pirlo coached last season. European football clubs that had commercial ties with Fonbet, including AC Milan, have severed their relationships. Pirlo's contract with Fonbet can reportedly be terminated immediately without penalty, according to his lawyers.

anyone who promotes or has promoted Russia after 2022, the year of the invasion of Ukraine, should not hold public office.

— Carlo CalendaLeader of the centrist Action party, commenting on the implications of Pirlo's Russian business ties.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Deber in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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