Rivera: 'Pirlo not right for Italy, I'm amazed anyone thought he could be'

Italy legend Gianni Rivera hit out at Andrea Pirlo and Paolo Maldini after the Russian gambling controversy. ‘He cannot be the right person to lead the Nazionale, and I’m shocked anyone thought he could be.’

The decision had seemingly been made to appoint Pirlo, the third choice for technical director Maldini and special advisor Leonardo after Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola turned down the job.

However, it was scuppered by the revelation that Pirlo was a global brand ambassador for Fonbet, a Russian gambling site that is banned in Italy, which included a promotional visit to Moscow as recently as May 2026.

MILAN, ITALY – MAY 21: Andrea Pirlo and Paolo Maldini attend Special Teams Legends Onlus Press Conference on May 21, 2019 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

It is reported that Maldini was still pushing to appoint his former Milan teammate, but it was blocked by FIGC President Giovanni Malagò.

Rivera lashes out over Pirlo controversy

FLORENCE, ITALY – FEBRUARY 03: Gianni Rivera of Figc during the “Panchina D’Oro Prize” award at Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano on February 3, 2020 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

“Pirlo is not the right person,” Italy legend and ex-politician Rivera told Repubblica newspaper.

“When it comes to his rapport with Russia, we must be very severe. At times like this, a similar relationship would expose the entire Italian football movement to a reputational risk.

“He cannot be the right person to lead the Nazionale, and I’m shocked anyone thought he could be. I think and hope Maldini was not aware of this connection with the gambling company in Moscow.”

Pirlo was not the only 2006 World Cup winner attending that event in Moscow back in May , as Marco Materazzi is also a brand ambassador for Fonbet.

Francesco Totti has also recently visited Russia to participate in sponsorship events.

A high-profile former player publicly questioning the national team coach may correlate with negative team morale and instability; factor into Italy's performance outlook.