Alessandro Florenzi ‘is the latest player to be named in the Italian football scandal over allegations of illegal gambling – with the AC Milan defender informed by authorities he is under investigation’

AC Milan defender Alessandro Florenzi has reportedly become the latest Italian player to be investigated by authorities for alleged illegal gambling activities.

Italian football was rocked by a scandal last month after Sandro Tonali, Nicolo Fagioli and Nicolo Zaniolo were named in an investigation by the Italian Public Prosecution Service and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) into claims of illegal gambling.

Tonali and Fagioli have since both been suspended for ten and seven months respectively after reaching plea deals with the FIGC, with Tonali reportedly admitted to betting on matches involving his former club AC Milan.

Meanwhile Zaniolo It is not thought he will seek a plea bargain, but will instead seek a full acquittal. The former Roma player is said to have insisted he only placed bets on online poker and blackjack games – which does not breach the Sports Justice Code.

And now, in new revelations, according to Italian news agency AGIFlorenzi is the latest player to be involved in the gambling scandal.

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Following the aforementioned news about Tonali, Fagioli and Zaniolo, the background investigation has continued and authorities have now told Florenzi – who counts Roma, PSG and Valencia among his former clubs – that he is under formal investigation.

The reports further claim that the charge he is facing is the same as that of Zaniolo, meaning he is under investigation for betting on online games instead of football matches.

However, footballers are still banned from betting on anything, but the punishment is likely to be less severe, with the report claiming that if found guilty, Florenzi would likely only receive a fine.

The right-back has won 49 caps for Italy since making his debut in 2012 and played off the bench in last month’s 3-1 Euro 2024 qualifying defeat to England, but he is not in Luciano Spalletti’s squad for the upcoming international matches .

He will meet with prosecutors in the coming days and give his version of events in Turin.

Although the allegations have nothing to do with betting on football matches, the report claims that Zaniolo and Florenzi could still get into serious trouble if they used illegal sites to play online games.

Meanwhile, in relation to the sentences imposed on Tonali and Fagioli, the Newcastle midfielder reached an agreement with the Federal Public Prosecution Service last month on an 18-month sanction.

The sanction will consist of a ten-month football ban, while eight months will be in the form of a ‘therapeutic plan’ to aid his ‘recovery from a gambling addiction’, which he suffered from, according to his agent.

This includes at least sixteen public performances in Italy at amateur sports clubs and ‘federal territorial centres’.

Tonali was also fined £17,380 for breaching FIGC rules which banned players from placing bets on football events organized by FIGC, UEFA and FIFA.

Elsewhere, Fagioli became the first player to speak directly to prosecutors after news of the investigation emerged, and the 22-year-old was subsequently extradited a seven-month ban from football.

The ban for the player is a significant reduction from the usual minimum sentence of three years after he admits his guilt and admits to a gambling addiction.

However, Juventus have remained loyal to the promising midfielder and have given him a new contract until 2028 after promising to continue supporting him during his suspension.