Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, priciest Italian player gets 10-month betting ban

Newcastle United’s Italian international midfielder, Sandro Tonali, has been slapped with a 10-month suspension for his involvement in betting, as announced by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on Thursday.

The 23-year-old was found to have placed bets on matches related to his former club, AC Milan, prior to joining Newcastle in a high-profile £56 million ($68 million, 64 million euros) transfer in July. This transfer made him the most expensive Italian player in history.

As a result of the ban, Tonali will be sidelined for the remainder of the current Premier League season and, if Italy secures qualification, the European Championship next summer.

This scandal marks the second instance of an Italian player being banned from football due to betting issues, which came to light during the recent international break. Juventus’ Nicolo Fagioli was previously handed a seven-month suspension by the FIGC’s disciplinary tribunal and agreed to undergo at least six months of therapy to address his gambling problems. An investigation revealed that Fagioli had accumulated debts exceeding three million euros and was exposed to threats of violence from those overseeing his bets.

Tonali’s agent has asserted that his client grapples with a gambling addiction and could have faced a potential three-year ban for his betting activities.

Both Tonali and fellow midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo, currently on loan at Aston Villa from Turkish club Galatasaray, were required to leave Italy’s training camp on October 12 after being informed of an investigation by Italian prosecutors.

Tonali recently appeared as a substitute in Newcastle’s 1-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. He has made 12 appearances for the club, and manager Eddie Howe has expressed the team’s full support for him, emphasizing their commitment to his long-term future with the club.