Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo will hold talks with Newcastle and Aston Villa chiefs after leaving...

13 Oct 2023

Tonali And Zaniolo To Meet Newcastle And Aston Villa Bosses Over Illegal Betting Probe

Tom Collomosse and Craig Hope wrote a blog for MailOnline.

Posted: 7:52 pm BST, October 13th, 2023 | Revised: 7:59 pm BST, October 13th, 2023

Nicolo Zaniolo and Sandro Tonali have been let go from the Italy squad due to an investigation into accusations of unlawful gambling and will meet with executives from Aston Villa and Newcastle to discuss their situation.

On Thursday, Italian authorities questioned Villa's winger Zaniolo and Newcastle's midfielder Tonali at their training base near Florence. Reports suggest that their electronic devices were taken away temporarily.

Zaniolo, Tonali, and Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli have been included in the inquiry, and they may face global suspensions lasting up to three years if they have violated any regulations.

In accordance with the rules set forth by Italian authorities, it is not allowed for sports competitors to engage in any form of gambling related to their respective athletic disciplines.

Tonali needs to come back to Newcastle before any discussion can take place. Reports suggest that he was recently in Milan consulting with his legal team.

Newcastle officials will be having discussions with Sandro Tonali once he is done with his international duties for Italy. Similarly, Nicolo Zaniolo will also be engaging in talks with Aston Villa management after being discharged from the national team.

Zaniolo was supposed to come back to England in the afternoon of Friday, after departing from the team's base.

On Friday afternoon, it was rumored that Zaniolo would be coming back to England, and Villa representatives were planning to meet with him as soon as possible. Zaniolo and Villa's transfer chief, Monchi, have a close connection as Monchi played a role in bringing Zaniolo to the Premier League when they previously worked together at Roma.

Instead of making quick conclusions, Villa's main concern is to completely understand the accusations and listen to the player's side of the story. As of now, it is believed that the 24-year-old will not face any disciplinary action from his team while the investigation is still underway.

According to reports from Italy, Zaniolo claims that he was engaged in an innocent game of blackjack on a website that he was not aware was illegal. He asserts that he did not place any bets on football games whatsoever.

There is usually no penalty for engaging in gambling activities that are not related to football or any other sports.

At present, Zaniolo is playing for Villa after being loaned from Galatasaray. The agreement includes a choice to purchase him for roughly £40million after the season is over, and this choice will become a requirement after Zaniolo has met particular goals. Thus far, he has competed in nine games but has not scored any goals.

The leader of the Italian team, Luciano Spalletti, suggested that it is important to support and protect those who may have been wronged. However, any wrongdoing should be addressed and dealt with accordingly. If any rules were violated, consequences should follow.

It's important that we discuss the danger of succumbing to these temptations. We must have a conversation with these young individuals about the presence of these potential traps.

According to Luciano Spalletti, Italy is doing the right thing by protecting their two young talents and letting justice follow its natural course.