the great Italian hope Sandro Tonali suspended for 10 months in the sports betting affair

After Nicolo Fagioli, another great hope in Italian football sees his career compromised by the illicit sports betting affair. Sandro Tonali has received a ten-month suspension, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced on Thursday October 26. “The sanction imposed on Tonali is 18 months: ten months of suspension and eight months of probation”explained the body to AFP.

Tonali, 23, was suspended longer than Fagioli, Juventus midfielder, who was sanctioned for seven months without competition on October 17. Aggravating circumstances, the Italian international in fact bet on matches of Brescia (2017-2020) and AC Milan (2020-2023) when he wore the jersey of these two teams, always betting on victories of its clubs.

A sanction accompanied by obligations of care

Tonali, capped 15 times for the Italian team, will not play again before the 2024-25 season and will miss Euro 2024 for which the Nazionale, reigning European champions, must still qualify. As with Fagioli, the FIGC took into account his cooperation with the sports justice investigation.

The sanction is accompanied by obligations of care to put an end to his addiction to gambling and participation “at least sixteen meetings” where he will have to warn young licensees and hopefuls of the dangers of sports betting, the FIGC told AFP. For an infringement of article 24 of the FIGC sports justice code which prohibits a professional player from betting on football, Tonali was liable to a three-year suspension.