Shevchenko hits out at ex-teammate Pirlo over Russian betting deal | OneFootball

Andriy Shevchenko has delivered a pointed rebuke to his former Milan teammate Andrea Pirlo over the Italian’s commercial partnership with Fonbet, the Russian betting giant at the centre of the row surrounding his likely appointment as Italy head coach.

According to SportMediaset, the Ukraine football federation president and 2004 Ballon d’Or winner did not hold back, aiming his criticism not only at Pirlo but also at fellow Italian greats Francesco Totti and Marco Materazzi, who have previously agreed to events and partnerships with Russian companies.

Shevchenko revealed he had raised the matter with the players directly.

REGGIO NELL’EMILIA, ITALY – MAY 18: Head coach of Juventus Andrea Pirlo speaks with the media during an Juventus press conference ahead of the TIMVISION Cup Final between Atalanta BC and Juventus on May 18, 2021 in Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images for Lega Serie A)

Shevchenko condemns Pirlo, Totti and Materazzi over Russia ties

“I spoke directly with many of them and clearly expressed my opposition, and Ukraine’s position,” the former striker said. “I condemn what they did. People understand, but they went ahead with the decision anyway.”

Shevchenko made clear the episode had wounded relationships he once valued: “I expressed my disappointment, and they know it. They’ll have to live with it, it’s their choice. For now everything is on hold. It hurt me.”

The intervention lands at a delicate moment for Pirlo, who has emerged as the frontrunner to take charge of the Azzurri but faces mounting scrutiny over his role as a global ambassador for Fonbet.

The Moscow-based bookmaker’s Russian ownership has turned a routine appointment into a political flashpoint, with the controversy sharpened by Pirlo’s recent appearance at a company event in the Russian capital.

Relations between the two nations have been severed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Shevchenko, a national icon who has become one of the most prominent voices in Ukrainian sport since taking the federation’s top job, carries particular weight on the subject.

That the criticism comes from a man who shared a dressing room with Pirlo at San Siro only underlines how personally the episode has been felt. With Italy’s federation still weighing whether to press ahead, the pressure on Pirlo shows no sign of easing.