Pirlo and Materazzi face backlash over Moscow football event during attack on Kyiv

Andrea Pirlo and Marco Materazzi have faced backlash after appearing in Moscow for a sports event on the same day Russia launched one of its most severe missile and drone attacks on Kyiv.

Pirlo, the former Juventus and Milan midfielder who is now manager of United FC in Dubai, was photographed on Sunday alongside Russia striker Artem Dzyuba during “Football Day” celebrations at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. In March 2022, shortly after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Dzyuba, the former captain of the national side, said he was “proud to be Russian”.

The event featured exhibition matches, autograph sessions and appearances by former footballers. It was organised by Fonbet, described as Russia’s largest betting company.

Pro-Kremlin artists also performed throughout the day, including Yaroslav Dronov, better known as Shaman, whose songs have become unofficial anthems of the war.

Pirlo’s presence revived criticism that first emerged in October, when he signed a deal with Fonbet as a global ambassador. Fonbet announced the partnership on Instagram, saying: “We welcome to our team a World Cup champion and two-time Champions League winner. As a global ambassador, the Italian will represent Fonbet in Russia and international markets.”

Ukraine’s news.telegraf described Pirlo as the “legendary partner of Ukrainian player Andriy Shevchenko who sold himself to Russia”, while social media reactions were similarly harsh. One post said: “Andrea Pirlo sold himself to dirty Russian money.”

The article says Fonbet has murky ownership structures and reported ties to the Russian authorities. It also notes that the company had operated as Milan’s regional partner in Russia before the club suspended the agreement in 2023 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, describing the decision as a gesture of solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

Pirlo and Materazzi were in Moscow as Russia launched one of its largest combined drone and missile assaults on Kyiv, targeting civilian infrastructure. Russia used its hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile for a third time in Ukraine as part of a large-scale attack on the capital and surrounding region that killed at least four people and injured about 100.

Among the strongest responses was that of the Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was barred from racing in this year’s Winter Olympic Games after attempting to compete with a helmet dedicated to Ukraine’s war dead.

“Today was one of the largest Russian attacks, during which 600 drones and 90 missiles were launched at Ukraine,’’ he wrote on X. “Also today, Italian football legend Andrea Pirlo was spotted in Moscow next to Russian footballer Dzyuba, who openly supports the Kremlin’s policy and the killing of Ukrainians. It’s sad to see childhood legends turn into moral bankrupts for whom nothing is more valuable than Russian roubles. Shame.”

Pina Picierno, vice-president of the European Parliament and a member of Italy’s Democratic Party, said: “Money can buy many things. It can even, incredibly, lead a sports champion to sign footballs in Moscow at the very same moment that regime is indiscriminately killing civilians and threatening European countries.

“What money cannot buy, however, is credibility, integrity and the ability to stand in the affairs of the world with honour and a straight spine. It is a great shame that Pirlo evidently has not understood these things.”

Pirlo defended the visit, saying: “We came here exclusively for sport and for the children. Football has the unique power to bring people together, to overcome borders and to offer a moment of joy, especially to young kids who dream of becoming footballers.

“Our presence in Moscow is linked solely to our passion for the game and to the affection of the fans who have always supported us throughout our careers.”

Materazzi said: “We are here for a celebration of football, to meet the fans and to show that the ball speaks a universal language. Seeing the enthusiasm of children on the pitch is the only thing that matters to us today. We are not here to do politics, but to honour football and the people who love it.”

The controversy echoes the backlash faced last year by another Italian football figure, Francesco Totti, after he travelled to Moscow as a guest of honour at the International RB Award, an event dedicated to sport and betting.