Newcastle's Sandro Tonali banned from soccer for 10 months over betting infringements
Newcastle's Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali has been banned from soccer for 10 months for his use of illegal sports betting sites, The Guardian reported.
Tonali is the second Italian athlete to face a lengthy ban for this crime. His international teammate, Nicolò Fagioli, was found guilty and banned for seven months just a few weeks ago.
Using illegal, unsanctioned betting sites is a crime in Italy, one that is punishable by up to three years in prison. While Fagioli and Tonali are both understood to have used unsanctioned sites, their punishments were significantly reduced for two important reasons.
First, both players came forward and cooperated with Italian authorities immediately; second, both agreed to extensive rehabilitation and community service programs that will see them speaking to Italian teens about the dangers of sports betting.
Tonali's ban exceeds Fagioli's for a key reason. While Fagioli pled guilty to betting on illegal platforms, Tonali pled guilty to betting on his own team on illegal platforms, albeit on matches he was not involved in. This difference was crucial in determining the length of each ban.
Tonali's substitute appearance in Newcastle's 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday is set to be his last for a while. His 10-month ban will commence immediately, and it will encompass all competitions, which means Tonali will be unavailable for the European Championships next summer (should Italy qualify.)
Newcastle, who paid $65M for Tonali last summer, has been unequivocal about its support for its embattled midfielder.
"We will throw our arms around Sandro and protect him and try to give him the love and support he needs to find solutions to the problems he’s had," Newcastle coach Eddie Howe said. "We see him being part our team for many years. We are committed to him long term."
The Big Step, a UK-based group angling to ban betting advertisements from sports, celebrated Newcastle's compassion and condemned the environment in which players with gambling addictions are forced to operate.
"Footballers are human and if they are suffering from addiction they deserve empathy and support, not lengthy bans," it said in a statement. "Every football game is wall-to-wall with gambling ads, not just across shirts but across stadiums and related media content. Sending someone addicted to gambling into this environment is like sending an alcoholic to work in a pub. If you force young footballers to endorse addictive products, then don't be surprised if they use them."
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