Newcastle United have broken their silence on the Sandro Tonali betting scandal, confirming that the 23-year-old Italian midfielder is under investigation by the Italian Prosecutor’s Office and the Italian Football Federation for violating betting regulations.
Tonali, who was withdrawn from the Italian national team ahead of their match against England, is cooperating with the investigation. Newcastle released a statement expressing their full support for Tonali and his family.
The statement read, “Newcastle United can confirm that Sandro Tonali is subject to investigation by the Italian Prosecutor’s Office and Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in relation to illegal betting activity.
“Sandro is fully engaging with the investigation and will continue to cooperate with all relevant authorities. He and his family will continue to receive the club’s full support.
“Due to this ongoing process, Sandro and Newcastle United are unable to offer further comment at this time.”
It has been reported that Tonali admitted to betting on matches involving his former club, AC Milan. This revelation could lead to a potential ban of up to three years from all footballing activity.
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The investigation also implicated Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli, who has already received a seven-month suspension from the Italian Football Federation for breaching betting rules. Fagioli agreed to a therapy plan of at least six months to address his gambling problem.
Sandro Tonali has 15 senior caps for Italy, and was signed by Newcastle from Milan for £55 million. He has made seven Premier League appearances since joining in July.
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