Pirlo out of Italy head coach race after backlash over Russian betting firm links

Former Italy footballer Andrea Pirlo said he's no longer in contention to be Italy head coach following controversy over his links to a Russian betting company. Earlier, Italy had unsuccessfully approached Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti as replacement for Gennaro Gattuso, who had stepped down as Italy head coach after the team failed to qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026.