Nicolo Fagioli receives a seven-month ban for illegal betting after Juventus midfielder reached a plea bargain with prosecutors… as Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali admits to being ‘a gambling addict’
- The Juventus midfielder has reportedly reached an agreement with prosecutors
- He will be suspended, but for much less than the usual sentence of three years
- Listen to the latest episode of the Mail Sport podcast ‘It all begins!’
Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli will be banned for seven months for illegal betting after reaching a settlement with prosecutors.
The 22-year-old appears to have secured a significant reduction in the usual minimum sentence of a three-year ban for such offenses after admitting his guilt and cooperating with officials.
Skysport Italy Fagioli’s report reached Tuesday afternoon and so it did confirmed by the Italian league.
The ban will last a total of 12 months, but five of those have been suspended, with Fagioli having to undergo at least six months of treatment to overcome his gambling addiction. He was also fined £10,850.
It means an end to his season with Juventus, but the punishment would be much less severe than a three-year ban that could have ruined his entire career.
Nicolo Fagioli will reportedly serve a seven-month gambling ban after reaching a settlement
The 22-year-old midfielder will serve much less than the usual three-year ban for such violations
More than forty players are suspected of being involved in the gambling scandal that has rocked Italian football, including Premier League duo Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo.
Newcastle United midfielder Tonali, who only signed from AC Milan for £55million this summer, and Aston Villa winger Zaniolo, on loan from Galatasaray, plus Fagioli, were among the first names revealed during the investigation.
All three players have had their phones and other devices seized, but as Mail Sport reported, the investigation is expected to include many more players.
Tonali joined Newcastle from AC Milan this summer. There were initial suggestions that he gambled on matches involving his former club, although it is believed he insisted he only played online games such as poker and blackjack.
On Tuesday, his agent said Tonali is struggling with a gambling addiction, he has disclosed this to those close to him and is willing to cooperate with authorities.
“Sandro is playing an important game against gambling addiction – he will win this one too,” he said.
‘I would like to thank Newcastle, who have always supported Sandro. He is shocked, horrified and sad.
‘I hope this experience saves his life and the lives of many others, and that it helps those who fall into the same habit he did.’
Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has admitted he has a problem with gambling
Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo is also under investigation by prosecutors in Italy
Riso adds: ‘Sandro is training and he was also able to play on Saturday. He understood that he had to face this problem in a strong, determined way.
“The club is absolutely by his side at the moment.”
Zaniolo claims he has not bet on matches, while his lawyer Gianluca Tonozzi told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport: ‘Nicolo has never bet. He told me this too.
‘It is possible that he played card games such as poker and blackjack on illegal online platforms, without knowing that they were (illegal). We will clarify everything.’