Two separate stories surrounding one brand during the same period: the Russian regulator punished the company for violating advertising laws, while the contract with the brand became one of the main reasons for the political scandal surrounding the candidacy of a legend of Italian football for the position of national team coach.
There are companies that make headlines in both business and sports press within a single month — and almost never for the same reason. August 2026 provided such an example for the Russian bookmaker Fonbet: within a few weeks, the brand received an official order from the Russian antimonopoly regulator, while its contract with a legend of Italian football became one of the central themes of a loud political scandal in Italy.
Let’s explore what exactly the FAS established, what Andrea Pirlo has to do with it, whether these two stories are directly related, and what this indicates about the risks bookmakers face when working with recognizable figures in different jurisdictions.
In Brief
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who made the decision in Russia | Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) |
| What did the FAS establish | Violation of the requirements of Article 27 of the law «On Advertising» regarding the placement and content of advertising for bookmaker services |
| Period of the disputed advertising campaign | May–June 2026, outdoor structures in Moscow |
| Date of the FAS decision | August 6, 2026 (case initiated on July 2) |
| Sanction | Order to cease advertising; the issue of administrative responsibility is under consideration |
| When did Pirlo become an ambassador for Fonbet | October 2025 |
| When did Pirlo withdraw from the Italian national team | July 27, 2026 |
| Are the two episodes directly related | Not confirmed — the media do not mention the advertisement rejected by the FAS as a campaign involving Pirlo |
What the FAS Established
On August 6, 2026, the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia officially recognized the outdoor advertising of «Fonbet TV» as inappropriate. According to the agency's press service, in May–June 2026, outdoor structures in Moscow displayed advertising for bookmaker services that featured the image of a football coach.
In the specific case of Fonbet, the FAS established a violation of the requirements for advertising bookmaker services placed on outdoor advertising structures, as well as the requirements for the use of images of people in such advertising. The exact conditions for applying these norms depend on the placement location and the context of the campaign — this is not a universal ban on any appearance of people in any bookmaker advertisements, but requirements that the regulator assesses on a case-by-case basis.
In its decision regarding Fonbet, the FAS concluded that the specific campaign of «Fonbet TV» did not meet these requirements.
Order to cease + consideration of the issue of administrative responsibilityThe case was initiated on July 2, 2026, and the FAS made its decision on August 6. The agency issued an order to the advertiser to immediately cease the distribution of the disputed content. The question of holding the advertiser and advertising distributors accountable will be considered separately.
The industry publication OOH Mag noted that the billboards featuring the coach's image attracted attention even at the campaign launch stage — meaning that questions about this advertisement arose among market observers long before the regulator's official decision.
What Does Andrea Pirlo Have to Do with It
Alongside the Russian story, a much louder narrative was unfolding in Italy — and at its center was also Fonbet, albeit for a formally different reason.
In October 2025, the 2006 World Champion and one of the most decorated midfielders in the history of Italian football, Andrea Pirlo, became a global ambassador for Fonbet. Since then, he has appeared in several of the company's commercials. According to Italian media, the contract is formally related to Pirlo's role as head coach of the club «Dubai United» in the UAE, owned by Russian businessman Sergey Lomakin: the agreement with the club allows the use of Pirlo's image to promote the club's commercial partners, including Fonbet.
How the Contract with Fonbet Became Part of a Political Scandal
In the summer of 2026, Pirlo was considered one of the main candidates for the position of head coach of the Italian national team — his candidacy, according to media reports, was supported by the federation's technical director, former national team partner Pirlo, Paolo Maldini. A four-year contract was being discussed.
However, Italian journalists drew attention to Pirlo's trips to Russia and his participation in events related to Fonbet, including, according to media reports, a visit to Moscow in May 2026. This sparked a sharp political reaction.
On July 26–27, 2026, Pirlo himself announced that he was no longer considered a candidate for the head coach position. According to media reports, he called the situation surrounding the contract a result of hypocrisy and emphasized the commercial nature of the collaboration, stating that it arose in the context of his career in the UAE and is purely commercial and sporting in nature.
Fonbet itself reacted strongly, calling the wave of publications about Pirlo «lies and slander.» The Russian ambassador to Italy, Alexey Paramonov, also expressed his position to Pirlo after the scandal.
Coincidence or the Same Creative?
What truly connects both cases is the company itself and the common issue: the use of recognizable figures in promoting betting services systematically creates regulatory and reputational risks for Fonbet across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously.
Timeline
- October 2025 Andrea Pirlo signs a contract and becomes a global ambassador for Fonbet.
- May 2026 Pirlo visits Moscow as part of his collaboration with Fonbet; outdoor advertising featuring the image of a football coach begins in Moscow.
- May–June 2026 Controversial outdoor advertising "Fonbet TV" is displayed on structures in Moscow.
- July 2, 2026 The FAS initiates a case regarding the Fonbet advertising campaign.
- July 26–27, 2026 Andrea Pirlo announces that he is no longer a candidate for the position of coach of the Italian national team amid political criticism of his contract with Fonbet.
- August 6, 2026 The FAS officially recognizes the "Fonbet TV" advertisement as inappropriate and issues an order to cease its distribution.
Why Advertising by Bookmakers Featuring People is a Systemic Problem, Not a One-Time Episode
Restrictions on the use of people's images in gambling and betting advertising are not new and are not specific to this case. Similar regulations exist in various forms in most jurisdictions with a regulated gambling market: the logic is to avoid creating an association between betting and the success, authority, or expertise of a specific recognizable person, whether they are an athlete, coach, or media figure.
The Pirlo case in Italy shows the other side of the same problem at a political rather than advertising level: even a purely commercial contract with a bookmaker can become a reputational risk for a person if the company itself is perceived as a toxic asset in a specific geopolitical context.
What Happens Next
- Will the FAS make a decision on specific fines for the advertiser and advertising distributors;
- Will Fonbet continue its collaboration with Pirlo and other foreign media personalities;
- Will there be official confirmation or denial that the rejected FAS advertisement and the campaign with Pirlo are the same creative;
- How will this story affect bookmakers' approaches in the CIS to working with foreign ambassadors.
Conclusion
August 2026 provided a rare example of how the same bookmaker brand found itself at the center of two different scandals in two countries simultaneously. In Russia, the FAS applied the standard mechanism for advertising control: the law explicitly prohibits both outdoor advertising of betting and the use of people's images—Fonbet violated both requirements and received an official order.
In Italy, the same brand found itself at the center of a much more politicized story: Andrea Pirlo's personal commercial contract with Fonbet became one of the main reasons for the criticism of his candidacy for the national team coach position from part of the Italian establishment against the backdrop of the geopolitical context, and ultimately Pirlo was removed from the list of candidates.
However, both cases together provide a good illustration of the fact that advertising involving recognizable figures in the betting industry carries risks of entirely different orders: from fines for violating specific articles of law to a full-blown international scandal that disrupts the career plans of a person who simply signed a commercial contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the FAS recognize Fonbet's advertisement as inappropriate?
The FAS recognized the controversial outdoor advertisement "Fonbet TV" as inappropriate and issued an order to cease its distribution—based on a combination of requirements for placing advertisements for betting services and the use of people's images in them. The issue of administrative responsibility is considered separately.
When did the FAS make a decision on the Fonbet case?
On August 6, 2026, following the case initiated on July 2, 2026. The regulator issued an order to immediately cease the distribution of the controversial advertisement.
Why was Andrea Pirlo removed from the list of candidates for the Italian national team coach?
Amid political criticism of his personal commercial contract with the Russian bookmaker Fonbet, which he signed in October 2025 as a global brand ambassador. The contract became one of the main reasons for the scandal surrounding his candidacy.
Are the FAS scandal and the story with Pirlo related?
There is no direct confirmation. Official sources do not refer to the advertisement rejected by the FAS as a campaign featuring Pirlo—it is only known that it used the "image of a football coach" without naming anyone.
How did Fonbet respond to the scandal with Pirlo?
The company described the flow of publications about the situation as "lies and slander."
What punishment does Fonbet face for violating advertising laws?
The FAS has already issued an order to cease the advertisement; the issue of holding the advertiser and advertising distributors administratively responsible is being considered separately.
Is Fonbet officially connected to Pirlo's club in the UAE?
According to Italian media, Pirlo's contract with the club "Dubai United" (owned by Russian businessman Sergey Lomakin) gives the club the right to use Pirlo's image to promote commercial partners, including Fonbet.
Is it prohibited in Russia to use people's images in bookmaker advertisements?
The law establishes requirements for advertising betting services, including restrictions on placement and the use of people's images—the exact conditions of application depend on the context of the specific campaign. It is based on these requirements that the FAS recognized Fonbet's advertisement as non-compliant with the law in this case.
Sources
- Official website of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia, decision dated 06.08.2026
- RIA Novosti, Kommersant, Vedomosti—materials on the FAS decision regarding the "Fonbet TV" advertisement, August 2026
- OOH Mag—industry coverage of Fonbet's advertising campaign, August 2026
- Kommersant, RBC Sport, Radio Liberty—materials on Andrea Pirlo's contract with Fonbet and its consequences, July–August 2026
This material was prepared by BET RATING based on official statements from the FAS of Russia and publications from Russian and Italian media as of August 2026. The connection between the two described episodes has not been officially confirmed and is presented in the material as a hypothesis requiring further verification.
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