NEWCASTLE UNITED MIDFIELDER SANDRO TONALI BANNED FOR TEN MONTHS OVER BREACHES OF GAMBLING RULES IN ITALY
Newcastle United have confirmed that midfielder Sandro Tonali has been banned from competitive football for ten months, the team announced on Saturday.
Tonali, who’s been under investigation over the past few months for gambling on professional football matches in Italy, was sanctioned by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on Thursday. “FIGC’s sanction includes an overall 18-month ban, with eight months commuted as the player participates in a therapeutic plan and educational program in Italy that consists of 16 commitments,” Newcastle’s statement read.
According to UK Newspaper, The Guardian, the eight-month rehabilitation program will involve Tonali making at least 16 trips to Italy to talk to players at assorted levels of football about the dangers of gambling, in addition to visiting addiction clinics. Tonali will also face the possibility of not playing for Newcastle for the entire 18 month span if he misses any series of engagements due to clashes with club commitments.
The FIGC also sent in a request to FIFA that Tonali’s suspension for the betting scandal be upheld worldwide, a request which the football governing body approved on Friday. The ban means Tonali will miss the rest of the domestic season and the 2024 Euros that are set to be played in Germany starting June 14th, should his international side, Italy, qualify for the event.
The 2020 Italian Golden Boy award winner was at FIGC’s offices in Turin this week and entered a plea bargain that landed him the ten-month ban. The 23-year-old admitted to betting on his old team, AC Milan, while he was still a player there, and even admitted to placing bets on matches in which he was involved for Milan. Tonali’s agent followed up by admitting his client had a gambling problem.
According to multiple reports, had Tonali not pleaded guilty to the illegal betting charges, he would have been liable to suffer a three-year ban from all football related activities. Professional footballers in Italy are prohibited from betting on any competition organized by FIFA, UEFA or the FIGC and any rule infringements are punishable by a three-year ban. Tonali was also slapped with a €20,000 (£17,400) fine.
“The FIGC prosecutor and Tonali have reached an agreement which I have already approved,” said FIGC President Gabriele Gravina. “The agreement consists of a 10-month ban plus eight months of rehab activities and at least 16 public appearances.”
The aforementioned 10-month ban will be in effect from Friday, Oct. 27th up until Tuesday, Aug. 27th, 2024, meaning the Lodi-born midfielder will be eligible to return in time for Game Week 4 of the 2024/25 Premier League season. Tonali recently joined Newcastle this summer for an estimated €70 million transfer fee, signing a five-year contract with the club.
“It’s not ideal [not having him on the field], we’re going to miss him,” Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe told Sky Sports on Saturday. “I’m not going to say we’re not. High class player, versatile player, that’s why we signed him. We’re going to miss him badly but like I said earlier, with injuries, suspensions, you have to find a way. And that’s what we’ll try to do.”
While there have been multiple suggestions from within Italy and the UK that Tonali will not be paid throughout the ban, Newcastle United are understood to be reluctant about imposing that sanction and should continue to pay Tonali’s £100,000-a-week salary.
Tonali is the second Italian player to be banned over illegal betting charges this month. Juventus midfielder Nicolò Fagioli was also banned for seven months as part of a settlement with the FIGC last week after breaching gambling rules. He was also handed a €12,500 fine and agreed to a rehabilitation program.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
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