Sandro Tonali admitted to betting on AC Milan matches while playing for them. He has joined Newcastle for £55m this summer. If he receives a 10-month ban, he won’t be able to play for the rest of the season and might also miss Euro 2024 if Italy qualifies.
Sandro Tonali’s lawyers are talking to Italian authorities about a 10-month suspension. He admitted to betting on matches that he played in. This news comes from Sky Italy.
Tonali is helping with the investigation and his lawyers are working on a plea deal. He admitted to placing bets on AC Milan to win games during a hearing at the Italian Federation in Turin.
Under FIFA rules, if he does not cooperate, Tonali may be suspended for up to three years.
An agreement is close to being reached to ban Tonali. If the ban is imposed, Tonali will not be able to play for the rest of the Premier League season and potentially miss Euro 2024 if Italy qualifies.
As of now, Tonali can still participate in Newcastle’s Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. He trained with his teammates on Tuesday.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, manager Eddie Howe said: “Sandro is fit and fine. Obviously there’s things going on, but it’s the same as he was before the Crystal Palace match.”
When pressed on Tonali’s availability, Howe added: “As far as I’m aware, I’m expecting him to be available for tomorrow.
“I’m in a position where I’ll plan like that until I’m told differently. I can’t second guess what’s going to happen.
“He’s trained today and he’s available. I’ve heard very little as I’ve been preparing for the game and will wait on anything concrete coming through.
“I’ve not spoken to him. It was very emotional for him at the end and it was clear to see for everybody. But it will help him in the long term as he will always be able to reflect back on the love he got from the supporters when he really needed it.
“It will help his long-term relationship, hopefully with the supporters.”
On any discussions with the board with regards to finding a Tonali replacement in January, Howe said: “It’s a bit too early for that as we don’t know what’s going to happen.
“There’s a lot of rumours going around but until we know, there’s nothing we can plan. We will prepare a strategy if we need one for that moment, but it’s not yet.”
Giuseppe Riso, the agent of Tonali, said that the player is struggling with a gambling addiction.
Nicolo Fagioli, the Juventus midfielder, has already received a seven-month ban as the first player implicated in the investigation.
Fagioli reported his gambling to the investigation. He received a one-year ban but had five months suspended. He was also fined €12,500 (£10,848) and agreed to a therapy plan for at least six months to address his gambling problem.
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