Newcastle star Sandro Tonali 'at risk of a ONE-YEAR ban', reports in Italy claim, after his agent...

Italian Reports: Newcastle's Tonali At Risk Of Year-long Ban For Gambling

Tamara Prenn wrote an article for Mailonline

Posted: 09:14 AM BST, October 18th, 2023 | Edited: 09:25 BST, October 18th, 2023

Reports from Italy suggest that Sandro Tonali might face a suspension of as long as 12 months. This comes after he confessed to investigators in charge of an ongoing probe into illicit betting that he wagered on football matches.

An inquiry has identified three footballers, including Nicolo Zaniolo of Aston Villa, Nicolo Fagioli of Juventus, and Newcastle's recent acquisition, as being involved.

Last week, Fagioli was the pioneer in speaking personally to the prosecutors and collaborating with the inquiry. This Tuesday, the footballer, who is 22 years of age, was disciplined with a prohibition of seven months from engaging in the sport.

Reducing the ban of the player is a noteworthy decision since it is less severe than the typical punishment of three years. This was possible because the player owned up to his mistake and admitted his gambling addiction.

Tonali's representative acknowledged on Tuesday that the 23-year-old is battling with a gambling addiction, and that the midfield player is collaborating with the proper authorities.

Sandro Tonali may be at risk of being banned from playing football for up to a year as a result of assisting Italian authorities with their inquiry into illicit betting.

On Tuesday, Nicolo Fagioli agreed to a plea bargain which resulted in him receiving a ban of seven months.

In Italy, regulations regarding gambling prohibit sportspeople from making bets on the very activities they participate in.

According to Gazetta dello Sport, Tonali might have to serve a longer suspension than Fagioli if it is discovered that he had gambled on his old team AC Milan. This kind of behavior could be considered as engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct under the Sports Justice Code of the country.

There are reports that the midfielder had a meeting with prosecutor Giuseppe Chine recently. It is said that Chine spoke with Fagioli over the weekend and they had another meeting on Tuesday.

If Tonali were to transfer to Newcastle, it wouldn't have any personal influence on the outcome of his bets on Milan. However, if he did gamble on Rossoneri, it's believed that it could worsen the situation and lead to a harsher punishment.

If Tonali cooperates, he may have his possible penalty cut in half through a plea deal. However, the situation may become tricky if there are any inconsistencies between Tonali's statements to authorities and the contents of his electronic devices.

On Thursday, Zaniolo, Tonali, and Fagioli had their electronic devices seized as part of an investigation. Additionally, the Italian national team's training camp was searched by authorities as they tried to question Zaniolo and Tonali.

Luciano Spalletti, the head coach of Italy, expressed that the action was a 'traumatic' experience, and his team was 'completely shattered' due to the inquiry.

Tonali could potentially face disciplinary action and may need to follow specific steps, which were previously given to Fagioli. These steps may include receiving treatment for a gambling problem and having conversations with other fellow players about the potential negative impacts of illegal betting within the sport of football.

. If Tonali, who is 23 years old, made some bets on his old team, Milan, it could lead to him facing even harsher consequences because it may be seen as going against fair play in sports.

At Turin's Palace of Justice, the midfielder from Newcastle had a meeting with prosecutors who handle criminal cases.

Tonali is believed to have had discussions with criminal prosecutor Manuela Pedrotta after meeting with prosecutors in regards to alleged involvement in sports-related offenses. Pedrotta is currently leading an investigation into an illegal gambling operation on online platforms.

It is suspected that Tonali has completely complied with the concurrent inquiry.

Zaniolo, who became a part of Aston Villa on loan from Galatasaray in the transfer window of the summer, has no plans of asking for a plea bargain and is instead intending to seek complete exoneration.

According to reports, the ex-Roma athlete is determined that he only gambled on internet-based poker and blackjack activities, which do not violate the Sports Justice Code.

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