Italy: Andrea Pirlo's private life under the microscope

While Andrea Pirlo's bid to take charge of the Nazionale has imploded amid the Fonbet controversy, the spotlight is now squarely on the Italian coach's entire business empire.

Beyond his ambassadorial contract with the Russian bookmaker, Andrea Pirlo has built a significant investment empire through his holding company, AP Group. According to the latest available accounts, it controls nearly €21 million in assets, with stakes in sectors ranging from steel and real estate to agriculture, tech start-ups, and even, indirectly, the IMA group—historically linked to the Vacchi family.

The 2006 World Cup champion's portfolio also extends to several industrial and innovative companies, raising eyebrows across Italy. Andrea Pirlo holds interests in EFC Acciai, a steel specialist, various industrial processing firms, a sustainable vineyard near Brescia, and the artificial intelligence start-up MyVisto.

And while none of these investments are illegal, their scale—combined with the Fonbet affair and suspicions of conflicts of interest surrounding his potential appointment as Italy manager—has fueled a climate of distrust around the man once seen as the symbol of the Nazionale's revival.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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