Sandro Tonali banned for TEN MONTHS over illegal betting scandal after playing just 12 Newcastle games since £55m move
SANDRO TONALI has been hit with a ten-month ban following an investigation into betting breaches.
The Newcastle star has been involved in a scandal involving Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli, with Aston Villa ace Nicolo Zaniolo also allegedly questioned.
Newcastle are awaiting an official press release, but FIGC president Gabriele Gravina confirmed to Italian reporters on Thursday morning that Tonali has been banned for 10 months.
He has been found guilty of illegal betting and will be unavailable until August.
Tonali will also undergo rehab treatment for eight months.
It means the midfielder will miss the remainder of the Premier League and Champions League campaigns for Newcastle, having come on as a sub in last night’s defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
Tonali will also be forced out of Euro 2024 should Italy qualify.
Gravina said: “The FIGC prosecutor and Tonali have reached an agreement which I have already approved.
“The agreement consists of a 10-month ban plus eight months of rehab activities.”
This comes after Fagioli was hit with a seven-month ban.
A probe into the Italian players’ activity saw the trio quizzed by police two weeks ago while on international duty.
And soon after, Tonali’s agent Giuseppe Riso revealed that the 23-year-old is a gambling addict and the scandal coming to light could “save his life”.
Riso said: “Sandro suffers of gambling addiction. He’s fighting to avoid that and I’m sure he will win this difficult game.
“He is in shock, he is shaken and sad. I hope that this experience saves his life and that of many others, that it helps those who fall into the same habit as him.”
The £55million summer signing from AC Milan played 21 minutes in Newcastle’s 4-0 win over Crystal Palace at the weekend with the club showing him their full support.
An emotional Tonali was applauded by fans after the final whistle.
Manager Eddie Howe insisted Toon’s “love” for the new signing is “crucial”.
He said: “The most important part of this whole incident is Sandro and his welfare.
“It’s very easy for people to forget how young he is and the changes he’s had in his life, coming from Italy to England. That’s hard enough to deal with and now he has this situation.
“Straight away, it was throw our arms round him and protect him, and try to give him the love and support he needs to try to find solutions to the problems that he’s had.
“That’s what we’re endeavouring to do with a lot of conversations, a lot of communication with him and his family. It’s the people around him that are going to be so important to him as well.
“It’s a big effort from us and he’s handled himself superbly. He’s obviously emotional but handled himself with respect and dignity.”
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
- For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
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