On Thursday night, it was revealed that Sandro Tonali (and Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo) had been dropped from Italy’s team for the October internationals.
The reason for this was because both players were under investigation in connection with allegations of illegal betting by Italian football players, with allegations that up to ten players were involved.
Juventus star Nicolo Fagioli had already admitted to breaching the tight betting laws that regulate individuals who play in Italian football.
There was an interesting development / update in the Italian media on Friday.
‘Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo and Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali have openly admitted to engaging in poker and blackjack games, asserting their separation from sports betting activities. In the recent developments, both players were questioned by the police in connection with an illegal betting case following an interrogation of Nicolo Fagioli, a Juventus player, who disclosed associations with other players found through a thorough examination of his phone.
According to information from La Repubblica, Zaniolo and Tonali were not immediately questioned by the authorities after leaving Italy’s training camp. Instead, they were intensely interviewed by their family and agents in an attempt to formulate a potential defense strategy for their involvement in the case. In an emotional statement, Zaniolo tearfully confessed to playing poker and blackjack, while Sandro Tonali admitted to similar activities. Nevertheless, both players distanced themselves from any engagement in sports betting. They acknowledged their friendship with Fagioli, as suggested by their conversations, but there is currently no concrete evidence linking them to sports betting. Investigators are closely examining betting patterns, payment methods, and VPN usage to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the situation.
While the outcome remains uncertain, there is optimism among Newcastle United fans that Sandro Tonali’s involvement may prove to be inconsequential, especially if his betting activities are limited to blackjack and poker, rather than football-related wagers. The removal of these two players from the national squad, just before critical Euro qualifiers against Malta and England, initially raised concerns. However, the latest reports from Italy indicate that they might have innocently been ensnared in this situation due to their association with Fagioli.’
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