Sandro Tonali has been confirmed to suffer from a ‘gambling addiction’ by his agent, Giuseppe Riso, after the Newcastle United midfielder was forced to withdraw from Italy’s squad ahead of their clash versus England due to a police investigation into illegal betting.
Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo and Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali were both forced to withdraw from Italy’s squad ahead of their crunch European Championship qualifier against England earlier in the week due to a police investigation into illegal gambling.
The investigation is still ongoing, however Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli is set to be suspended for seven months as part of the same probe, and a ban is also expected for both Tonali and Zaniolo if found guilty.
Reports claim that the Newcastle midfielder has told loved ones about his struggles with gambling, and is now ready to cooperate with police investigating the issue.
After being questioned by the police, Tonali returned to Tyneside for training with his club, and could be in line to feature against Crystal Palace at the weekend – although question marks remain following his agent’s comments.
“Sandro is playing an important game against gambling addiction – he will win this one too,” his agent, Giuseppe Riso, said.
“I’d like to thank Newcastle who have always stood by Sandro. He is in shock, shaken and sad. I hope that this experience saves his life and that of many others, that it helps those who fall into the same habit as him.”
Riso added: “Sandro is training, and on Saturday he could also play. He understood that he has to face this problem in a strong, determined way. The club is absolutely at this moment by his side”
🚨⚪️⚫️ Tonali’s agent Riso confirms: “Sandro suffers of gambling addition. He’s fighting to avoid that and I’m sure he will win this difficult game”.
“He’s sad, still in shock”.
“I’d like to thank #NUFC as they’re supporting Sandro. He’s training, he could feature on Saturday”. pic.twitter.com/S1CXdoOlLe
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 17, 2023
RELATED: England Vs Italy Live Stream: How To Watch Euro 2024 Qualifiers For Free
In other news, Newcastle have extended the contract of Blyth-born left-back Dan Burn by two-years, whilst they reportedly plot a move for out-of-favour Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe.
The Magpies are back in action in one of five three o’clock kick-offs on Saturday afternoon, as they welcome Roy Hodgson’s Eagles to St. James’ Park.
Related Football Content
- Football Betting Tips 2023 – Latest Picks & Football Tips
- Football Predictions October 2023
- Football Accumulator Tips 2023 – Latest Acca Betting Tips
- Best Correct Score Tipsters on Telegram & Social Media 2023
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
