Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali will be banned from football for 10 months for a gambling offense at a match in Italy, the head of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said on Thursday.
Italian midfielder Tonali, who joined Newcastle from AC Milan in a deal worth €70 million ($76.28 million) with add-ons this year, must also attend treatment sessions for problem gamblers and give a series of talks about his experiences over an eight-month period as part of the deal with FIGC.
The defense bargaining agreement, which is expected to take place globally, was confirmed by FIGC president Gabriele Gravina. This will make Tonali absent for the rest of the club season and next summer’s Euro 2024 tournament.
Tonali is a famous player caught up in a gambling scandal that rocked Italian football.
FIFA and FIGC rules meant that Tonali could have faced a three-year suspension, but his cooperation with the authorities leading the investigation, the FIGC and the Italian prosecutor’s office, saw his sentence reduced.
He is one of three Italian footballers whose gambling activities are being investigated by the authorities.
Tonali and his international team-mate Nicolò Zaniolo were sent back to their respective clubs from the Italian training camp on October 12 after being told by police about their involvement in a betting investigation.
Both players featured in the Premier League last weekend, with Tonali coming off the bench for Newcastle, while Zaniolo played 76 minutes for Aston Villa.
Tonali’s agent, Giuseppe Riso, said last week that the player is fighting a gambling addiction and that he is shocked, shaken and sad as a consequence of his current situation.
ESPN reported last week that Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli was banned for seven months and an additional five months suspended by the FIGC for breaching betting rules.
He was also fined €12,500 ($13,235) for violations related to betting on football events organized by the FIGC, FIFA or UEFA.
Gravina of the FIGC defended the plea bargain system used to deal with these cases quickly and reduce the harsher penalties that could be imposed.
“The regulation stipulates sanctions for several years, plea bargaining is allowed, as well as mitigating circumstances,” Gravina told reporters.
“The players are very cooperative, so we continue to follow the rules,” he added.
Tonali has made 11 appearances for Newcastle in all competitions this season and scored once.
