The gambling scandal has Italy in its grip, with more and more details leaking out. Sandro Tonali (Newcastle United) and Nicolò Zaniolo (Aston Villa) had to leave the Italian training camp due to police interrogations, with the latter seeming to have a serious issue with his gambling behavior.
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In addition to Tonali and Zaniolo, authorities are also looking into Nicolò Fagioli of Juventus. Fagioli has been questioned by the police, and Tonali and Zaniolo must also cooperate in the investigation into potential illegal gambling activities. ANSA news agency reports that the authorities suspect Zaniolo was part of a gambling syndicate and actively involved in both placing bets and disseminating information. Through his lawyer, Zaniolo has stated that he does indeed engage in online gambling, primarily focusing on poker.
The political sphere has now become involved in the gambling story. Andrea Abodi, the Minister of Sport of Italy, hopes that the country can now revise its gambling regulations. 'This is not the first and it will not be the last dark chapter in the history of Italian football. This will be an opportunity to reconsider the system.' The initial measures have already been taken, namely that there are no gambling advertisements on television before, during, and after football matches.
According to Italian media, the authorities have a strong case. There is talk of substantial evidence indicating that the accused football players placed bets of over a million euros on football matches. In some cases, these matches may have involved the players themselves.
If the authorities can prove this and it leads to a legal case, the players could face a three-year suspension. If match-fixing becomes part of the legal proceedings, this suspension could be significantly longer.
Updated: 02:40, 15 Oct 2023
