- Andrea Pirlo has confirmed he is no longer in contention to become Italy's next national football team coach, announcing his withdrawal via Instagram on Monday.
- His decision follows political concerns raised by several Italian politicians regarding his sponsorship deal with Russian betting firm Fonbet.
- Politicians argued that the national coach should not hold views conflicting with Italy's support for Ukraine, although Pirlo, who won the World Cup as a player in 2006, defended the agreement as purely “commercial and sports” related to his UAE job, denying any political significance.
- Pirlo's previous unsuccessful coaching stints at Juventus and Sampdoria had already made him an unpopular choice, and he was not the initial frontrunner for the role, with Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola having declined offers.
- Attention for the vacant coaching role, which opened after Gennaro Gattuso's departure in April following Italy's failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, now returns to former Italy coaches Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini.
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