Zaniolo and Tonali situation mars Italy’s buildup for England game

Luciano Spalletti had intended to rely on Nicolò Zaniolo and Sandro Tonali's familiarity with Premier League play during Italy's Euro 2024 qualifier match with England at Wembley. The two athletes were part of the team's previous competition, and had received another call-up for the current games. However, on Friday, both athletes had to leave the team's training facility after being informed that they were undergoing investigation by Turin's public prosecutors.

Zaniolo and Tonali got interrogated and had their electronic devices taken away by the police during an unexpected search at the Coverciano facility a day before. The Italian football federation (FIGC) let them go back to their respective clubs, and issued a statement emphasizing that the players were not in a suitable state of mind to play against Malta and England. Moreover, the FIGC expressed the intention to safeguard the players' well-being.

We are still uncertain about the charges that Zaniolo and Tonali will be facing. The police conducted a series of operations last Thursday as they investigated illicit gambling platforms, which the two footballers are believed to have participated in. Committing the act of gambling on websites without proper licenses in Italy is considered a serious crime, warranting imprisonment of maximum three months or payment of overwhelming fines.

In Italy, there exists a distinct aspect of fairness in the sports world. The rules state that professional soccer players are not allowed to place bets on any matches that are organized by Fifa, Uefa, or the FIGC. If they do, they will face a punishment of being banned from playing for three years. However, if they accept their wrongdoing, this term may be decreased. It is important to note that this suspension would also apply to Premier League matches.

According to Gianluca Tognozzi, the lawyer who is supporting Zaniolo, the statements made by La Gazzetta dello Sport on Sunday were not true and his client did not engage in any form of gambling. Tognozzi further added that it might be possible that Zaniolo played a card game like poker or blackjack, but unknowingly did so on an unlicensed platform. However, Tognozzi assured that they will investigate and clarify the situation.

The representatives of Tonali have not made any statements to the public yet. However, Gazzetta has mentioned that Tonali will work alongside the prosecutor of FIGC, Giuseppe Chiné. According to an article published in Corriere della Sera, Tonali has expressed his intention to undergo therapy to address his addiction to gambling.

It may take a few months for the sporting justice process to reach a conclusion. Another football player, Nicolò Fagioli from Juventus, had also been implicated in the Turin prosecutors' investigation. The FIGC initiated a case against the player at the end of August, giving Chiné 60 days to pursue charges. Based on this timeline, we may anticipate that decisions on Tonali's and Zaniolo's cases will be made around mid-December.

During this time, everyone can still play for their club teams. If they wanted to, Zaniolo and Tonali could have played for Italy at Wembley. When asked about the decision to send them home, Spalletti didn't say who made the call but supported it in an interview with Sky Sport in Italy. He explained, "We can't take two young players who are understandably upset to play in a match like this."

The upcoming match on Tuesday is not crucial for either team. England is in a strong position in Group C as they managed to win in Naples in March. Meanwhile, Italy understands that even if they win at Wembley, it won't impact their chances of qualification significantly. Unless there is a surprise outcome in another match, their qualification prospects will depend on the result of their game against Ukraine in Leverkusen next month.

Despite the challenges Spalletti faced when he took over as coach in August, this upcoming match is crucial for him. When Roberto Mancini unexpectedly resigned to take a job in Saudi Arabia, Spalletti was given just three weeks to prepare for important qualifiers against North Macedonia and Ukraine. While Italy managed to draw the first match, they won the second and showed promise when they scored a resounding 4-0 victory over Malta on Saturday. It seems that the team is finally embracing Spalletti's attacking strategies.

The team is currently not at its maximum capacity. Even before Tonali and Zaniolo left, they were without Federico Chiesa and Mattia Zaccagni, who are both injured. Spalletti decided to include Giacomo Bonaventura, a 34-year-old midfielder who hadn't been called to play since 2020. This was due to his impressive performances with Fiorentina. Bonaventura made an excellent start by scoring the first goal against Malta.

During a pre-game interview, a journalist compared Bonaventura to Jude Bellingham and asked if he could be Italy's version of him. Spalleti responded with a smile and said "yes". However, after the game, he corrected himself and said that Andrés Iniesta would be a better comparison.

It is uncertain if Bonaventura will begin the game against England because he played for 87 minutes during the weekend. Domenico Berardi from Sassuolo is expected to play on the right side of the attack after scoring five goals in six league games and two more for the national team. Although the 29-year-old had agreed to transfer to Juventus this summer, the clubs were not able to come to an agreement.

Despite the various disturbances, the Italy squad remains high in caliber. The majority of the defense, comprising of Matteo Darmian, Alessandro Bastoni, and Federico Dimarco, along with midfielder Nicolò Barella played in the Champions League final for Internazionale in June. Davide Frattesi has also joined the squad at San Siro and has successfully scored four times in his last three Italy games.

Spalletti is thoroughly enjoying his role in uniting a team. The individual who guided Napoli to their third Serie A championship earlier this year, expressed his recent pleasure in being "immersed in happiness." He stated that taking on "the most prestigious role of my career" has been an absolute joy.

The past few days have been quite difficult for him as he has been trying to balance supporting his players with respecting the legal process. However, despite this, his excitement for visiting Wembley has not faded. When asked on Monday if he still felt happy about his job, he confidently responded with a yes. He's looking forward to playing a fantastic match in an amazing stadium.