Russian betting company ties spark resistance to appointing Pirlo as Italy coach

July 26 : Andrea Pirlo’s possible appointment as Italy head coach has hit political resistance over his commercial ties to a Russian betting company.The 47-year-old World Cup winner had emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Gennaro Gattuso after former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reportedly turned down the position.However, key figures in the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Italian parliamentarians are now weighing up the fallout from Pirlo’s role as a global ambassador for Russian bookmaker Fonbet.The FIGC declined to comment when contacted by Reuters but a source close to the matter said that Pirlo's connections to Russia were being evaluated and that the matter was not closed. Pirlo, currently managing United Arab Emirates Pro League side United FC in Dubai, signe