Pirlo defiant over Russia row but Malagò’s silence spells danger | OneFootball

Andrea Pirlo has gone on the offensive, dismissing the criticism of his likely Italy appointment as “instrumental” and “hypocritical”.

Speaking from a training camp in Austria with his Dubai side, the Corriere della Sera report that the coach questioned why the World Cup had been staged in the United States, a country he noted was at war with Iran.

Few new head coaches have faced a welcome this hostile, older observers recall the abuse that greeted Enzo Bearzot in the 1970s before he became a national hero.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ITALY – MARCH 5: Giovanni Malago, President of the Organising Committee for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, speaks during the mural inauguration ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games at the Cortina Paralympic Village on March 05, 2026 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Photo by Linnea Rheborg/Getty Images for IPC)

Cross-party attacks leave Malagò weighing a U-turn on Pirlo

The opposition spans the political spectrum. Senate president Ignazio La Russa reached for irony, calling the choice “a leap in the dark” and warning the mountain may have produced a mouse.

Sports minister Andrea Abodi was sceptical, branding the earlier flirtation with Pep Guardiola “a gamble”. Figures from the Democratic Party, Azione and Europa+ urged Pirlo to sever his Fonbet ties, a moot point, since the role itself would prohibit any betting deal.

Most tellingly, Giovanni Malagò did not call to reassure Pirlo on Saturday, having done so on Thursday. A bad sign. The federation president now faces a night of reflection over whether to back Maldini’s pick or retreat.