🤌 Pirlo out of the running for Italy job, is Maldini resigning? | OneFootball

Andrea Pirlo will not be the next manager of the Italian national team, against all expectations.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, his ties to a Russian sports betting platform were decisive in sinking his candidacy. Malagò, the president of the FIGC, decided not to give the green light to the Pirlo project.

This decision could lead the Maldini-Leonardo tandem to tender their resignation, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Pirlo’s words on Instagram

"Out of respect for the institutions, for the Federation, and for all the people involved, I have chosen until now to remain silent, but after learning last night that I am no longer the candidate for the bench of the Italian national team, I believe it is necessary to clarify a few points.

In recent days, I have watched with great bitterness the debate that has arisen around my name and the possibility of taking on the role of Italy manager. Throughout my career, first as a footballer and now as a coach, I have always carried out my work in full compliance with the laws of the countries in which I have worked and the contracts I have signed. The professional collaboration at the center of the recent controversy began during my time working in the United Arab Emirates and is exclusively commercial and sporting in nature. To assign a political meaning to that collaboration is to attribute to me beliefs I have never expressed and that do not belong to me.

I would like to thank Maldini and Leonardo for the regard and trust they have shown me. I know their competence, their seriousness, and the love they have always devoted to Italian football. I regret that a sporting decision was so quickly dragged into a public debate that ended up attributing meanings and intentions to me that are not mine. Love for Italy does not depend on a position. It is part of my history, my identity, and it will always remain with me."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

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