Within these few days, the suspension of Sandro Tonali for the betting case is expected, even to avoid angering UEFA ahead of the tonight’s Champions League.
Yesterday, the meeting between Sandro Tonali’s lawyers and the FIGC Prosecutor’s Office took place. In the next few days, possibly even today, with the goal of finalizing it before the Newcastle-Borussia Dortmund match, to avoid causing any irritation to UEFA by allowing English teams to field a player under investigation in Italy in the Champions League.
The initial suspension request was for 4 years since the midfielder admitted to betting (always on winning) on matches involving Brescia and Milan. However, this was later reduced to 2 years due to a plea agreement. Tonali’s legal team, relying on his cooperation and a medical certificate indicating gambling addiction (ludopathy), aims for a further reduction of 6 months, bringing the total suspension to 18 months: 10-12 off the field, and 8-6 as additional penalties. Tonali will also commit to educating young players about avoiding illegal betting.
Currently, there are discussions taking place on two fronts. On one hand, there’s the precise length of the suspension, with the Prosecutor’s Office pushing for 12 months plus 6 as an additional measure to differentiate the situation more significantly from that of Fagioli.
Furthermore, the financial penalties will likely be higher than those imposed on the Juventus player. Tonali’s lawyers are aiming for a 10+8 suspension, ensuring that Tonali would be ready for the start of the new season with Newcastle. It’s important to note that this season has effectively ended for him, including Euro 24.
