After Nicolo Fagioli, another great hope in Italian football sees his career compromised by the illicit sports betting affair: Sandro Tonali has received a ten-month suspension, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced on Thursday. “The sanction imposed on Tonali is 18 months: ten months of suspension and eight months of probation,” explained the FIGC.
Bets on matches of your own teams
Having become the most expensive Italian player in history by joining Newcastle for 64 million euros, Tonali, 23, was suspended longer than Fagioli, a Juventus midfielder who was sanctioned for seven months without competition on October 17 . Aggravating circumstances, the Italian international has indeed bet on Brescia matches (2017-20) and AC Milan (2020-23) when he wore the jersey of these two teams, still betting on victories of his clubs.
Tonali, capped 15 times for the Italian team, will not play again before the 2024-25 season and will miss Euro 2024 for which the Nazionale, reigning European champions, must still qualify.
Tainted career
The sanction is accompanied by obligations of care to put an end to his addiction to gambling and participation “in at least sixteen meetings” where he will have to warn young licensees and hopefuls of the dangers of sports betting, specified the FIGC . For an infringement of article 24 of the FIGC sports justice code which prohibits a professional player from betting on football, Tonali was liable to a three-year suspension.
Until this case, Tonali’s career was exemplary; debut in the Brescia first team at 17 in the Italian 2nd division, a first selection for the Italian team at 19, a transfer in 2020 to the prestigious Milan attracted by the elegance and vision of the game of the one who is quickly nicknamed the new Andrea Pirlo, before hitting the jackpot by joining Newcastle who offered him an annual salary of 7 million euros. This was before the affair which will change, or at least taint the career of the “Golden Boy” of Italian football.