Sandro Tonali found guilty of gambling charges - Newcastle midfielder handed 10-month ban

Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has been handed a 10-month ban from all football activities, with a further eight months of mandatory participation in a gambling rehab clinic, for breaches the player made in Italian betting regulations. The ban will take effect immediately, ruling the 23-year old out of the remainder of Newcastle’s season as well as the European Championships next summer if Italy are to qualify. "An agreement has already been reached between the Federal Prosecutor's Office and Sandro Tonali," announced Italian football federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina in a statement on Thursday. "A plea bargain is planned for 18 months of which eight months will be spent in rehabilitation, some of which will be therapeutic activities and at least 16 in-person meetings as testimony." 

 

According to the Guardian, lawyers for the Newcastle player held a series of meetings with federal prosecutors in Italy ahead of Thursday’s announcement in an attempt to finalise a plea bargain. The player’s offences include the use of illegal gambling websites and placing bets on AC Milan when he was an active player with the club. These tend to carry a mandatory three-year ban but that has been reduced due to Tonali admitting guilt, as well as cooperating with investigators and accepting the need for counselling for being what his agent has labelled a “gambling addict”. Tonali is considered one of Italian football’s most promising midfielders, having developed into a top-class player in Milan, after completing a permanent €14.5 million move from Brescia in 2021. His performances in Serie A attracted a number of top clubs and eventually led to a €64m move to Newcastle in July 2023, making Tonali the Premier League club’s second most expensive signing ever.