Tonali to receive reduced ban under criticism

Newcastle United midfielder, Sandro Tonali’s lawyers will indeed use a similar strategy as Nicolo Fagioli’s team in the hopes of avoiding a heavy suspension for a gambling offence.

News broke in October that Fagioli, the first player implicated in the betting scandal, had received a 7-month ban from football. This was a sentence significantly reduced from the ban stated in footballing regulations that could have been extended to 3 years.

Violation of Article 24 of the Sporting Code of Justice, such as the infringement by Fagioli, states that players are prohibited to place any bets, whatsoever, on football matches.

Tonali’s case

The Newcastle United man is accused of violating this code by betting on football matches that included his former club AC Milan, however, he has claimed he only bet on Milan to win these matches and is not suspected of match-fixing.

It has now been decided that Tonali will hear from Italy’s Football Federation (FIGC)  and the prosecutor’s office within the week regarding the length of his ban.

Cooperation

It is hoped that this punishment will be more lenient as Tonali and his team have been openly cooperating with authorities since his implication in the case.

The player’s lawyers are negotiating a plea bargain with prosecutors in Rome. It is speculated that his sentence may be reduced to 50 percent.

The situation for Tonali differs from his fellow Italian, however, as Fagioli reported himself to the FIGC and did not bet on his own club, Juventus, unlike Tonali.

Both the Attorney General for Sport at the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) and the federal president must approve any agreement reached during the meeting with FIGC.

Pundit opinions on gambling bans

It has been stated that Tonali is seeking help for his gambling addiction and despite his issues played a cameo role in Newcastles’ recent win over Crystal Palace.

Due to the traction, this case and numerous others have gained in the media, numerous sporting pundits have weighed in on the situation with former Arsenal midfielder, Paul Merson stating gambling addiction should be treated with understanding as opposed to punishment.

Coach Zdenek Zeman, however, insists on a minimum three-year suspension, stating that rules are not respected, particularly in Italy.

This is significant especially when noting that Italian punishments have been historically far stricter than that of the English Premier League for instance. 

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