Football Italia
·26 July 2026
Football Italia
·26 July 2026
Andrea Pirlo is the main name across Sunday’s front pages, but his expected move to become Italy head coach has run into an unexpected obstacle.
La Gazzetta dello Sport leads with ‘Russian shadows’, saying FIGC president Giovanni Malagò wants the coach’s links with Fonbet, a Moscow-based betting company for which Pirlo has worked as global ambassador, cleared up before any agreement is signed.
Pirlo’s lawyers maintain that the connection comes through his current club, United FC Dubai, whose owner Sergey Lomakin has interests in the company, and that it would end automatically, without any penalty, once he leaves the Emirates.
The Corriere dello Sport takes a stronger line, declaring that ‘Pirlo splits Italy’. It presents Paolo Maldini’s choice as a risk that has left clubs, fans and politicians unconvinced, with sports minister Andrea Abodi among those expressing doubts even while adding a restrained “I’m rooting for him”.
Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini remain in the background if the federation changes its mind. Tuttosport carries the same theme under ‘Russian sponsor, then Abodi: Pirlo’s thorns’.
Away from the national team story, Tuttosport also focuses on Luciano Spalletti, who guided a 1-0 friendly win at Standard Liège thanks to a Fabio Miretti goal.
“I’m waiting for Kolo!” reads the headline, a reference to the coach’s effort to sign Randal Kolo Muani, while Eljif Elmas, a Scudetto winner under Spalletti at Napoli, is also mentioned as a possible option. The paper further says Loïs Openda is set for Lyon, João Mário is close to Fiorentina, and Liverpool have made a move for Conceição.
Inter also get significant attention. The Corriere reports that the chase for Cristian Romero is moving forward, with Oaktree prepared to finance a €40m package to meet Tottenham’s demands, while Yann Bisseck has agreed a renewal until 2031.
Napoli, meanwhile, are dealing with talk around Romelu Lukaku, whose agent has warned that the striker “won’t be a reserve” as the club search for a defender, with Tiago Gabriel the leading candidate. Roma have offered €30m plus bonuses for Bologna’s Santiago Castro.
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