The choice of the former Juventus coach ignites the debate, including political ones. Is it appropriate for him to become coach given his relationships with a betting portal in Moscow? And does the son’s work violate FIGC regulations?
From a controversial choice on the field to a state affair with politics taking the front seat. The nomination of Andrea Pirlo as technical commissioner of the national team, a path taken by Maldini and Leonardo once they received Pep Guardiola’s no, she is frozen and risks being dropped. A short circuit in which it is difficult to understand exactly the contours, since the doubts about the former Juventus coach’s CV, the expectation of a higher level profile and the (embarrassing) issues that emerged in the hours in which the agreement with the FIGC should have been closed are mixed to the point of almost becoming indistinguishable.
In summary: Pirlo is the choice of Maldini and Leonardo, the men who Giovanni Malagò called to assume the role and duties of the technical director of the federation, the first time in the history of Italian football. They have the task of indicating the name of the selector, even if shared with the FIGC president himself because the statute of Via Allegri also provides for this. Once the attempt with Guardiola was exhausted, Carlo Ancelotti also tried the coup (he declined being under a very rich contract with Brazil despite the world championship flop), so everything went to Pirlo. That The fans don’t like him, he’s disliked by the Serie A League – just listen to the theory of the “hundred days” verbalized by Urbano Cairo – and it makes Malagò himself perplexed from an image point of view.
Who, however, cannot oppose because he would be breaking the pact made with Maldini and Leonardo when he convinced them to commit to the rebirth of Italian football. The consequences? He could also find himself without both the coach and the two managers just signed. A technical, operational and image disaster. However, external elements were also unleashed around Pirlo’s choice, calling into question an embarrassing collaboration with a Russian site and the alleged incompatibility of Pirlo himself and Maldini with federal regulations due to their children’s work.
Pirlo and the relationship with Fonbet: this is why it causes discussion
Since October last year Andrea Pirlo has been global brand ambassador of Fonbeta Russian sports betting platform in which it has enormous interests Sergey Lomakinowner of United Fc which is the Dubai team coached last season by the Brescia coach. The participation of Pirlo and Materazzi in an event in Moscow last May caused quite a stir and sparked more than one controversy.
Objectively embarrassing partnership even if it would not violate any of the rules linked to the sanctions imposed by the European Union on Putin’s Russia after the aggression against Ukraine in February 2022. Pirlo’s entourage claims that it is not a problem to get rid of the agreement with Fonbet, without even the need to pay penalties, just as there is no problem in terminating the contract with United FC in order to then be able to negotiate freely with the Football Federation which by statute cannot speak with a coach who is tied to another club or federation.
Politics, however, has seized the opportunity to raise the question of opportunity. Is it appropriate for Pirlo, given his ties with Russia, to become coach of the national team, even if the agreement is dissolved? A barrage that convinced Malagò to take his time, asking to know the story in detail starting from the content of Pirlo’s contract with Fonbet, whether it is actually an offshoot of the agreement with United FC and how he has carried out his role as brand ambassador in recent months.
Are the sons of Pirlo and Maldini sports directors?
The other issue is regulatory and refers to what happened in 2016, when Marcello Lippi had to take a step back from the role of technical director because his son Davide was a prosecutor and the rules did not allow the hypothesis of a potential conflict of interest. Now the question concerns Nicolò Pirlo and Christian Maldini, both involved in brokerage agencies albeit in a secondary role and at the beginning of their respective careers.
Nicolò Pirlo he is in the Milan office of the You First/Garsh Sports company which has the power of attorney for many top-level footballers around Europe: he is not yet a proxy, having not obtained any qualification, and mainly deals with scouting and intermediation. Neither Christian Maldini he is registered in the FIGC sports directors’ register. He collaborates with Beppe Riso’s agency, a powerful Italian agent. Situations apparently very different from that of Lippi in 2016 and which then ended up depriving Gian Piero Ventura of the “hat” that Tavecchio had thought for him by calling him to lead, but not alone, the national team which would then fail to qualify for the World Cup against Sweden.
