RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesFIGC in a Crisis as the Appointment of Pirlo Collapses
Paolo Maldini and Leonardo chose Andrea Pirlo as the next Italy coach after Pep Guardiola rejected it, but FIGC president Giovanni Malagò halted the procedures over some delicate off-the-pitch matters, Corriere della Sera reports.
The young coach faced scrutiny for a contract with a Russian betting company, for which he serves as a global ambassador. Most European countries have cut ties at the start of the war in Ukraine. He clarified in a statement that there was nothing political behind it, but that didn’t stop the avalanche. The federal lawyer spent the weekend going over his contract, finding that it’s not directly tied to his role as manager of Dubai side United FC, which is owned by Sergey Lomakin, but rather a personal partnership.
That didn’t work in his favor, and Malagò canceled a meeting with Pirlo and his camp to go over the formalities. The former midfielder ended his run with an Instagram post.
However, Maldini and Leonardo had threatened to resign over the former Milan midfielder not getting the job, seeing it as an attack on their supposed autonomy. The president will try to prevent it before assessing other candidates for the Azzurri . The duo believes the problem was strategically leaked because the choice wasn’t well-received due to technical reservations and the gaffer’s inexperience.
Our Take on Italy and Pirlo
What a mess and an unforced error, as he shouldn’t have been hand-picked to begin with. They should have contemplated everything before throwing him into the fire. It’s easy to be in lockstep when the decisions are obvious; now it’s time for the officials to prove their caliber and character.
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