Newcastle seek clarity over Sandro Tonali’s worldwide ban as a FIFA translation appears to state he cannot train with the club – despite word from Italy suggesting the midfielder CAN continue training at St James’ Park
Newcastle are seeking clarity on Sandro Tonali’s global ban after a translation issue raised concerns over his suitability to train with the first team.
Last week it was confirmed that Tonali had been banned from competitive football for ten months, in a huge blow to Eddie Howe’s high-flying side.
Initial reports suggested Tonali was at risk of a 12-month ban after claiming he had bet on AC Milan matches while on the books ahead of his £52million summer move to Newcastle.
However, it is believed that his guilty plea and willingness to seek treatment for what his agent calls a “gambling addiction” helped him get the ban reduced.
As part of the reduced ban, it was expected that the midfielder would be able to train freely with Newcastle during his suspension, but there are now doubts as to whether that is the case.
Newcastle will seek clarification over Sandro Tonali’s global football ban
There is confusion over whether Tonali will be allowed to train with the Magpies during his ban
Confusion over the issue continues after a FIFA translation revealed he is in fact unable to train with Newcastle.
The Tyneside club will now seek clarity on the matter but remain confident he will be eligible to train once the issue is resolved.
Tonali, who joined the Magpies from AC Milan for £55 million, will be ruled out for the rest of the season after reaching an out-of-court settlement over his gambling scandal.
Italian FA chief Gabriele Gravina confirmed that a 10-month ban had been agreed, including eight months of therapy, and praised Tonali’s cooperation in the process.
He was fined €12,500 (£10,850) and also agreed to a minimum six-month therapy plan to tackle his gambling problem.
Tonali was named on the bench for the Champions League match between Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund
Brentford’s Ivan Toney was given a similar ban and was only allowed to return to training after four months of the eight-month ban had been served.
Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli was also handed a seven-month ban for gambling offences.
In May, Brentford striker Ivan Toney was handed an eight-month gambling ban and only returned to training after the four-month ban had been served.
Toney was handed the tough ban and £50,000 fine after accepting 232 breaches of the FA’s betting rules.
As part of the punishment he was unable to train with his club for the first half of the suspension, but he worked hard away from Brentford and was recently pictured training alone ahead of a key step on his comeback journey.