Philip Conneller In Philip Conneller’s eight years with Casino.org, he has covered the gaming industry from Las Vegas to Macau and everything in between. Soccer great Andrea Pirlo is a “global ambassador” for Russian betting giant Fonbet, a post he assured had nothing to do with politics, as he withdrew from the running for the Italy job. (Image: Getty)Pirlo’s withdrawal prompted the resignations of Italian great Paolo Maldini, the Italian Football Federation’s technical director, as well as his adviser, Brazil World Cup winner Leonardo, both of whom had backed Pirlo for the role. In October, the former Juventus and AC Milan player signed up as a “global ambassador” for the company. Roberto Mancini, who coached the Azzurri from 2018 to 2023, winning the European Championships in 2021, is now widely tipped for the job.