Betting is a serious issue for many people around the world, and it is no stranger to the sport of soccer. Even players nowadays usually end up becoming involved in betting, which leads to heavy punishment by the authorities.
And now Newcastle United and Italian player Sandro Tonali have also been found to be involved in betting. An investigation is ongoing over the alleged claims and the player himself may soon put an end to the rumors in an unexpected way.
Sandro Tonali to denounce himself amid investigation
Not only Sandro Tonali, but Italy national teammates Nicolo Zaniolo and Nicolo Fagioli have also been found to be involved in betting. Currently, prosecutor’s offices in Turin are conducting an investigation into the trio in yet another scandal in Italian soccer history. They were also left from the international squad on Thursday so that Italian prosecutors could question all of them regarding the betting allegations.
Reports from Sunday broke the news that Juventus player Fagioli is trying to get a reduced sentence in return for full cooperation in the investigation. Further reports now claim that Tonali is also about to do the same, which could potentially halve any punishment given. In fact, Fagioli reportedly already blamed Tonali for being the one who introduced him to the betting app.
🚨🚨| Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali is likely to denounce himself in front of the Prosecutor and this will likely lead to the reduction of a potential ban.
— TTS. (@TransferSector) October 16, 2023
[Il Messaggero via @_GIFN] pic.twitter.com/0lNp3B4zmD
Il Messaggero reports that Tonali will meet with prosecutor Giuseppe Chine next week in order to get a reduced punishment. He will denounce himself, admit his guilt in front of the authorities, and then, during the court proceedings, take a plea bargain to possibly reduce any sentence.
Italian rules dictate that players cannot bet on the sports they play in, and if found guilty, the accused could get up to three-year worldwide bans. A hefty punishment that could be halved if they admit their guilt. However, if it is found that they did not bet on soccer at all, there is a chance of no punishment.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic discusses Tonali’s betting issues
Amid all the ongoing issues, Tonali’s former AC Milan teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic also shared his two cents about the incident. In a recent interview with Gazzetta Dello Sport, the Swede spoke about his former teammate being embroiled in a scandal.
He was asked if he ever got any suspicions of the betting issues in Tonali when they shared the dressing room together at Milan.
He said nothing of the sort happened, though, saying they should judge after everything is revealed. “I know very little about the story, I had never noticed anything strange about him, but you should not judge before you know all the details.”
The soccer legend also said that Tonali deserves all the help he can get to overcome his gambling addiction. “If he is struggling with gambling, you have to help him, because it is really like a drug. I, too, have played at the casino before, because everyone is free to do what they want with their own money, but you have to understand the situation.”
It remains to be seen what happens in this case, but for now, Sandro Tonali is still eligible to play for Newcastle United.
