Tonali still played against BVB
Newcastle professional banned for a long time due to illegal betting
October 26, 2023, 3:15 p.m
The second long ban has been imposed in the Italian football betting scandal. After Juve’s Nicolo Fagioli, Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali now has to watch for several months and fight his addiction with therapy.
Newcastle United’s Italian international Sandro Tonali has been banned for ten months for his involvement in Italian football’s latest betting scandal. In addition, according to an agreement between the Italian Federation’s Sports Court (FIGC) and his lawyers, he must undergo therapy for a period of eight months, as FIGC President Gabriele Gravina announced in Rome. If Tonali, who has confessed, does not fulfill these obligations, he will face a ban of over three years.
He came on as a substitute in the Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund (0-1) on Wednesday. It might have been Tonali’s last game for a long time. For the midfielder, the 2023/24 season will most likely end prematurely; He will also miss the European Championships in Germany in the summer, for which Italy still has to qualify. The agreement still needs to be officially approved by the highest sports court of the National Olympic Committee in Italy (Coni).
Tonali admitted that he had also bet on his own team’s games during his time at AC Milan. The 23-year-old only moved to England in the summer for more than 63 million euros. He is accused of placing bets on the Rossoneri and his former club Brescia on illegal online platforms during his time at Milan. Tonali has admitted his gambling addiction.
Last week it became known that the public prosecutor’s office and the Italian Football Association were investigating allegations of illegal betting against Tonali and his compatriot Nicolò Zaniolo from Aston Villa. The duo had already been interviewed at the national team’s training camp and then returned to the clubs early.
Juve professional Nicolo Fagioli, who was sentenced to an eight-month professional ban last week, is also involved in the scandal. The Turin public prosecutor’s office is also investigating the players for illegal betting. After the betting scandal broke, Newcastle said Tonali was “fully supporting the investigation” and would “continue to cooperate with all relevant authorities.”