Why Malagò blocked Pirlo’s Italy appointment | OneFootball

Andrea Pirlo has recently confirmed that he is no longer in the running to take over as the next head coach of the Italy national team, and reports in Italy indicate that political pressure over FIGC President Giovanni Malagò led to this outcome.

Report: Malagò responsible for blocking Pirlo appointment

The search for a new Italy head coach has descended into chaos. FIGC technical director Paolo Maldini had originally sought to appoint either Carlo Ancelotti or Pep Guardiola, but after learning that neither would be joining the project, he decided to turn to Pirlo instead.

Pirlo’s candidacy became complicated when it was uncovered that he was a global brand ambassador for the Russian betting company Fonbet. Aside from the question of morality, there are also strict laws regarding the advertising of gambling in Italy, which again complicated Pirlo’s path to the Azzurri hot seat.

Pirlo clarified his stance in a statement posted to social media on Sunday evening, claiming that “I always performed my duties within full respect of the laws of the countries I worked in, and the contracts that I signed.”

Pirlo has since posted an updated version of this statement, confirming that he was informed late on Sunday night that he was no longer in the running to take over as Italy head coach.

According to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio and various other outlets in Italy, Pirlo’s involvement with Fonbet had been settled; however, due to the ‘political pressure’ around the situation, FIGC President Malagò decided to block his appointment.

As prominent Italian media reported, however, Pirlo’s potential appointment was welcomed with scepticism by part of the FIGC, including Malagò, even before the scandal erupted.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ITALY – MARCH 05: Giovanni Malago, President of the Organising Committee for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, speaks during the Paralympic Games Opening Press Conference ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games at on March 05, 2026 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)

What happens next remains to be seen: Several outlets in Italy have suggested that Maldini and advisor Leonardo could even walk away from their positions as a result of the decision to block Pirlo’s appointment. The pair were only appointed a fortnight ago.

As for the next head coach, the initial reports suggest that Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini’s names could come back into circulation and that Stefano Pioli and Raffaele Palladino are among the alternative options.