Andrea Pirlo's prospective appointment as Italy head coach faces a fresh obstacle after the Codacons (Italian consumer protection agency) announced plans to take legal action over his links to a Russian-owned gambling company.
The 2006 World Cup winner emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Luciano Spalletti, but over the past 48 hours his path to the Azzurri job has been thrown into doubt amid scrutiny of his commercial partnerships.
Pirlo serves as a global ambassador for Fonbet, a bookmaker whose Russian ownership places it under additional sanctions in Italy. The former Juventus and Milan midfielder recently attended a Fonbet company event in Moscow, drawing further attention to the arrangement.
"The Codacons will present a formal request to the Communications Authority tomorrow asking to open an investigation into Andrea Pirlo in light of the violation of the rules prohibiting sponsorship for gambling," the organisation said in a statement.
"Not just that, because if the FIGC names him coach of the Nazionale, an immediate appeal will be lodged to the Lazio TAR tribunal to block this nomination."
Italy's Dignity Decree (Article 9) bans any form of advertising, sponsorship or promotion of gambling with cash winnings. If the Communications Authority upholds the Codacons complaint, Pirlo could face a fine of 20 per cent of the value of his sponsorship deal.
The Russian dimension compounds the issue. Fonbet's ownership structure subjects the company to enhanced scrutiny under Italian law, and Pirlo's participation in a Moscow event for the brand has intensified criticism.
FIGC President Giovanni Malagò has so far stalled on confirming Pirlo's appointment, and the Codacons' intervention adds legal pressure to the political and reputational concerns already surrounding the move.
Pirlo is not the only member of Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning squad with ties to Russian companies — Francesco Totti and Marco Materazzi have also taken part in promotional events — but his prospective role as national team head coach has placed his commercial affiliations under an unusually bright spotlight.
Sources
- https://football-italia.net/pirlo-threatened-with-legal-action-italy-coach/
