Andrea Pirlo Pulls Out of Italy Coaching Race

Andrea Pirlo has ruled himself out of the running for the Italy head coach job after his commercial ties to a betting company sparked controversy.

The former Italy midfielder broke his silence after learning that he was no longer under consideration for the position, expressing bitterness over the controversy that surrounded his potential appointment.

Pirlo had emerged as a leading candidate for the Azzurri job after Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti distanced themselves from the position.

Reports had suggested that the 47-year-old had agreed a four-year contract worth €1.5 million per season, with Italian Football Federation technical director Paolo Maldini and special adviser Leonardo backing his candidacy.

However, complications emerged over Pirlo’s role as a global brand ambassador for Russian betting company Fonbet.

Pirlo, in a statement posted on his Instagram Story, said he had initially remained silent out of respect for the institutions and people involved in the process.

He said: “Out of respect for the institutions, the federation and everybody involved, I have chosen to remain silent until now.

“However, after learning last night that I am no longer a candidate for the Italy national team head coach position, I feel it is necessary to clarify a few points.

“Over the past few days, I have watched with great bitterness as the debate regarding my name and the possibility of my taking on the role of Italy national team head coach unfold.”

The 2006 World Cup winner defended his conduct throughout his playing and coaching career, insisting that he had always operated within applicable laws and contractual obligations.

Pirlo said: “Throughout my career, first as a player and then as a coach, I have always performed my duties within full respect of the laws of the countries I have worked in and the contracts I signed.

“The professional collaboration that is the subject of recent controversy came about as part of my working experience in the United Arab Emirates and is exclusively of a commercial and sporting nature.”

Pirlo also rejected attempts to attach political meaning to his relationship with the company, insisting that such interpretations did not represent his views.

He added: “Attributing political meaning to this collaboration means attributing convictions to me that I have never expressed and that I do not hold.

“It is regrettable that a decision based on sporting grounds was quickly dragged into a public debate that ended up attribution motives and intentions to my name that never existed. My love for Italy does not depend on a job.”

Pirlo’s withdrawal leaves the Italian Football Federation searching for another candidate to lead the national team after Guardiola and Ancelotti also distanced themselves from the position.