Andrea Pirlo‘s connection to the Russian gambling operator Fonbet has cost him the chance to manage the Italy national side. His ties to the company are facing increased scrutiny as his current club president denied any links to Fonbet.
Pirlo is currently the manager of United FC in Dubai, owned by Russian businessman Sergey Lomakin. He claimed his deal with Fonbet was linked to the job, but the team distanced itself from the company.
A club spokesperson told Gazzetta dello Sport, “Mr. Lomakin has no interest in Fonbet. Furthermore, United FC Dubai, the football club where Andrea Pirlo is the coach, has no connection with Fonbet. The connection between Mr. Lomakin, United FC Dubai, and Fonbet does not exist.”
Statement Contradicts Pirlo’s Claims
Pirlo signed on as an ambassador for Fonbet in October last year. In a statement on Instagram, he said, “The professional collaboration at the heart of the recent controversy arose during my time working in the United Arab Emirates and is purely commercial and sporting in nature.”
However, United FC’s statement contradicts that assertion. Pirlo added that his endorsement of Fonbet is in no way a political statement supporting Russia amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
“Attributing a political significance to that collaboration means attributing beliefs to me that I have never expressed and don’t belong to me,” Pirlo said.
He had been set to take over as Italy manager before backlash over his ties to the company. While expressing disappointment at missing out on the role, Pirlo added, “My love for Italy doesn’t depend on a job. It’s part of my history, my identity, and it will remain forever.”
Mancini Appointed as Maldini & Leonardo Resign
Pirlo had been the reported choice of new technical director Paulo Maldini, who played alongside Pirlo for Italy and AC Milan. In protest at the decision not to appoint Pirlo, Maldini resigned after only 16 days.
Fellow former AC Milan player Leonardo followed Maldini in quitting his role. The Brazilian, who also managed AC Milan, had been appointed as an advisor along with Maldini earlier this month.
Following the pair’s resignations, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) appointed Roberto Mancini as the country’s new manager. Mancini previously led Italy to the Euro 2020 title when serving as manager between 2018 and 2023. However, he failed to qualify the nation for the 2022 World Cup.
Italy also missed out on the 2026 World Cup. The appointments of Maldini and Leonardo had been seen as a shake-up of the national set-up to buck the trend of failing to qualify for the last three World Cups.
Italy’s Strict, But Loose Gambling Ad Ban
In addition to prohibiting Russian companies due to the Ukraine war, Italy has strict rules prohibiting gambling advertising.
The Decreto Dignità (Dignity Decree), which took effect in 2019, bans gambling advertising and sponsorship in sports.
Despite the ban, gambling companies sponsor several Italian soccer clubs through subsidiary companies. For example, the Swedish betting brand Betsson appears on Inter Milan shirts as Betsson Sport.
Polymarket has also signed deals with Serie A, the top league in Italian soccer, and Lazio, a club in the division. This is despite the advertising ban on betting and Polymarket being blocked in the country.
Fonbet is one of the largest licensed gambling companies in Russia, founded by chess grandmaster Anatoly Machulsky in 1994. It is not licensed in Italy but operates internationally under a Curaçao license.
