The Newcastle midfielder is now also under investigation by the English FA. “Further sanctions? I cannot tell the future,” commented the Director of Football, Dan Ashworth. “I can only focus on the present and the facts.”
Sandro Tonali is now under investigation by the Football Association (FA) for the betting case. This news was directly confirmed by Newcastle’s Sporting Director, Dan Ashworth. It’s a procedural step after the player has already been handed a suspension by the FIGC (Italian Football Federation) confirmed by FIFA. “We are fully cooperating,” said the English official. “Further suspension? Unfortunatly, I can’t tell you the future; I can only focus on the present and the facts.”
Already suspended for 10 months plus 8 supplementary penalties
On October 12th, Tonali, along with Zaniolo, was approached by law enforcement in Coverciano’s training camp to clarify matters related to the betting investigation. Everything was started by Fagioli‘s investigation and expanded following statements made by the photographer Fabrizio Corona.
The midfielder immediately admitted to placing bets on illegal websites (including on football and Milan) . Subsequently, his lawyers also met with the FIGC Prosecutor, resulting in an agreement for: a 10-month suspension plus an additional 8 months of supplementary penalties and a €20,000 fine. This suspension became official on October 26th and took effect the following day.
Ashworth: “All we can do is examine our internal investigation”
“It was a huge shock,” said Dan Ashworth, the the Magpies Sporting Director. “First and foremost, it must be remembered that Sandro is a human being. We’ve all done things we shouldn’t have. Our goal is to take care of him and support him. It’s probably harder for him than anyone else. We have a program to support him, and fortunately, he can train with the team, which is great for his mental well-being.
Could Milan have known about his gambling addiction? It’s really difficult for me to understand what other clubs do or do not know. All we can do is examine our internal investigation. It’s a really tough question to answer; I simply don’t know.
