Sandro Tonali has finally admitted to his illegal betting. He is expected to be banned for one year.
Italian media outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Monday (Aug. 18) that “Tonali is remorseful and has already begun to actively participate in the investigation into the betting incident. He has confessed to his wrongdoing and has unequivocally admitted to betting.”
Tonali is an up-and-coming midfielder from Italy. He played for Serie B side Brescia Calcio before joining AC Milan on loan for the 2020-21 season. His talent blossomed with his natural ability to distribute the ball and his aggressive defensive balance. He has since made the move permanent and has become an integral part of AC Milan’s midfield.
As a result, he attracted interest from many clubs this summer. Newcastle were the most active in their pursuit of Tonali. Tonali made his way to Newcastle and continued to perform well, starting five of their seven Premier League (PL) games and scoring one goal.
He was recently called up to the Italian national team for a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match, but shocking news broke. Tonali has been accused of placing illegal bets alongside teammate Nicolo Zaniolo.
Earlier, Juventus midfielder Nicolo Pazzioli was also investigated for illegal betting. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) launched an investigation into whether the three players bet illegally, and Tonali and Zaniolo, who were called up to the Italian national team during the October A-match, returned to their clubs to be investigated.
The media outlet said that the bets were only placed on matches that Tonali missed. Therefore, the punishment Tonali is currently facing is a minimum three-year ban for players who bet illegally on sports.
It is also expected that the disciplinary action will be mitigated to some extent. “Tonali has already shown himself to be cooperative,” the source said. If he suffers from a gambling addiction, he could be prescribed a 12-month ban from the field of play and six alternatives, as was the case with Pazzioli.”
In Pagliari’s case, he was handed a 12-month suspension, with five months to be replaced by completing a gambling 스포츠토토 addiction treatment program and volunteer work in youth football. He was also fined 12,500 euros (about $17.8 million).