Price of cooperating with Russia: Ukraine's Presidential Office reacts to Pirlo's Italy snub
Pirlo won't lead the Azzurri due to ties with Russia (Photo: @andreapirlo21, Instagram)
Italy's decision not to appoint legendary footballer Andrea Pirlo as head coach of the national team because of his ties to Russian business sends a clear and important message to the world. Cooperation with the aggressor state can permanently damage the reputation of even the biggest names in sport, according to comments by Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Ukrainian President's Commissioner for Sanctions Policy, speaking to journalists.
Consequences of cooperation with Russia
According to Vlasiuk, any ties to Russian business carry serious career risks. He specifically referred to the Russian bookmaker Fonbet, which has been under Ukrainian sanctions since 2023 for directly financing Russia's war against Ukraine.
He said the case of the legendary former Italian footballer demonstrates that choosing Russian money and maintaining ties with Moscow can make it impossible to continue working in the civilized world.
"Reputational and sanctions-related consequences catch up with you regardless of how legendary an athlete or public figure you are. Attempts to dismiss such cooperation as 'politicization' no longer work," Vlasiuk said.
How the sanctions regime works
The presidential commissioner stressed that sanctions extend far beyond legal restrictions. They fundamentally change the international community's attitude toward Russian capital.
As the sanctions regime expands, fewer international organizations and sporting institutions are willing to risk their reputations by associating with people who knowingly cooperate with sanctioned Russian entities.
Earlier, it was reported that the Italian national football team decided not to appoint Andrea Pirlo as head coach because of his cooperation with Russian business interests.
