Andrea Pirlo, former World Champion with Italy in 2006 and currently head coach of Dubai United in Austria, is the designated candidate to become the new head coach (commissario tecnico) of the Italian national football team. The appointment, promoted by technical director Paolo Maldini and consultant Leonardo, has not yet been officially finalized by FIGC president Giovanni Malagò and is now surrounded by growing uncertainty.

In recent days, two main lines of controversy have emerged. The first concerns Pirlo's role as testimonial for the Russian bookmaker Fonbet. Pirlo addressed the issue directly through a social media post, expressing "great bitterness" and stating that the contract with Fonbet has no political significance. In the message, he mentioned Maldini and Leonardo but did not mention president Malagò. According to some reconstructions, Pirlo would be prepared to terminate the commercial agreement with Fonbet if appointed as national team coach.

The second line of debate concerns a possible conflict of interest linked to the professional activities of the sons of Pirlo and Maldini. Nicolò Pirlo works at the Milan office of You First/Garsh Sports, an agency representing several international football figures, while Christian Maldini collaborates with Gr Sports, the agency of Giuseppe Riso. Both operate in the world of football intermediation. The precedent of Marcello Lippi, who in 2016 renounced a federal technical director role to avoid a conflict of interest tied to his son Davide's activity as a registered agent, has been recalled in this context. However, according to federal regulations, Nicolò Pirlo and Christian Maldini are not registered with the National Register of Sports Agents, having neither taken the qualifying exam nor obtained enrollment. This formal difference makes their position different from Davide Lippi's at the time.

Despite the absence of a formal incompatibility, voices within the football environment, including some Serie A clubs, consider it appropriate for the sons to step back from their roles to avoid any suspicion. The matter could be addressed during the federal council of 28 July.

According to reports in the Corriere della Sera, Pirlo judged the controversies as instrumental and pointed out what he perceived as contradictions, asking why the World Cup was held in the United States, a country engaged in conflict with Iran. The same source notes that Malagò reportedly did not contact Pirlo to reassure him on the day in question.

The overall situation has become increasingly delicate. According to some accounts, Malagò has intensified contacts with Maldini to assess the evolving scenario. Should the agreement with Pirlo fall through, the names of Roberto Mancini and Antonio Conte are mentioned as alternatives, with Mancini currently considered the frontrunner. It has also been reported that Maldini might consider stepping down if the appointment of his chosen coach does not go through.

The process of appointing the new national team coach thus remains open, pending decisions by the FIGC president and the federal council.