The controversy over his collaboration with the Russian portal hampers the candidacy of the 2006 world champion. However, he is not willing to leave the scene as the culprit and writes as much on Instagram.
Andrea Pirlo will not be Italy’s coach. In the end he made official what had gradually become clear over the weekend, namely that the president of the FIGC, Giovanni Malagò, would not have stopped the mounting controversy over the coach’s global ambassador contract with the Russian betting portal Fonbet. Pirlo took care of it by updating the Instagram message with which he tried to explain his version of events, but without convincing anyone.
“I learned last night that I am no longer the candidate for the Italian national team bench”: few, clear words. The communication reached him in the summer retreat where he is working with United FC, a Dubai club which he led to the top division last season and from which he was ready to divorce to accept the offer from Maldini and Leonardo. He won’t be Italy’s coach – now the game of the future of the men who chose and indicated him begins -, but Pirlo still wanted to express his position on the controversies that have engulfed him. Here it is:
“In recent days I have witnessed with great bitterness the debate that has developed around my name and the possibility of covering the role of Technical Commissioner of the Italian national team. Out of respect for the institutions, the Federation and all the people involved, I have chosen so far to remain silent. However, I believe it is necessary to clarify some aspects. Throughout my career, first as a footballer and now as a coach, I have always carried out my activity in full compliance with the laws of the countries in which I worked and the contracts I signed. The professional collaboration that is the subject of the recent controversy was born as part of my work experience in the United Arab Emirates and is exclusively of a commercial and sporting nature. Attribute political significance to this collaboration it means attributing to me beliefs that I have never expressed and that do not belong to me”.
“I would like to thank Maldini and Leonardo for the esteem and trust they have shown in me. I know their competence, their seriousness and the love they have always dedicated to Italian football. I regret that a sporting choice was quickly abandoneddragged into a public confrontation that ended up attributing meanings and intentions to my person that do not belong to me. The love for Italy does not depend on an assignment. It is part of my history, of my identity and will continue to accompany me, always.”
