Italian football icons Andrea Pirlo and Marco Materazzi have come under fire for a public relations appearance in Moscow. Multiple Italian media outlets and The Guardian reported that the two former professionals were signing autographs and taking selfies at a ‘Football Day’ event held at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday. The event, which reportedly featured pro-Kremlin artists, took place on the same night Russia launched missile and drone attacks on Kyiv.
Pina Picierno, Vice-President of the EU Parliament, vehemently condemned their participation on social media. She stated, «Money can buy many things; it can even, unbelievably, make a sports champion sign balls in Moscow in the same hours this criminal regime is killing civilians indiscriminately and threatening European countries.» Picierno added that what money cannot buy is «credibility, integrity, the knowledge of how to stand with honor and a straight back in world affairs. It is a great shame that Pirlo has apparently not understood these things.»
Ukrainian skeleton athlete Wladyslaw Heraskewytsch, who was reportedly barred from the Winter Games for wearing a helmet depicting war victims, also sharply criticized Pirlo’s appearance. He highlighted that Pirlo was alongside Russian footballer Artyom Dzyuba, a known supporter of «Kremlin policies and the killing of Ukrainians.» Heraskewytsch lamented, «It is sad to see childhood idols turn into morally bankrupt people for whom nothing is more valuable than the Russian ruble. Shame.»
According to The Guardian, the event was organized by a Russian betting company for which Pirlo serves as a brand ambassador. The 47-year-old, who won the 2006 World Cup alongside Materazzi, was quoted as saying, «Our presence in Moscow is solely due to our passion for sport and the affection of the fans who have always supported us throughout our careers.» Pirlo is currently working as a coach for United FC in Dubai.