Italian midfielder suspended for seven months after illegal online gambling
Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at 3:54 PM
Juventus midfielder Nicolò Fagioli has been banned for seven months, Sky Sport Italia and transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano have reported. Fagioli, like Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Zaniolo, was accused of illegal gambling. The latter two were expelled from the Italian selection last week for that reason. Fagioli is therefore the first of the three to be suspended for a long time.
The 22-year-old Italian’s season is almost over. According to Romano, the midfielder’s suspension will be officially announced very soon. The Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office is also said to have already approved the decision. Fagioli had already admitted last Wednesday that prosecutors in Turin suspect him of gambling via illegal websites.
More: Gambling scandal keeps people busy: father of suspected player points to broker | More and more details about possible Italian gambling scandal: ‘Tonali is afraid’
Fagioli’s father, Marco Fagioli, previously publicly addressed the accusations against his son. “Clubs and parents can never be fully responsible. It would be good if the players were warned by the agents. They should advise the players and make them realize what commitments you make when signing a contract. This way they justify the money they earn .”
Those words went wrong with the management of the Juventus talent. “Nicolò is addicted to gambling, a problem that arose when we were not his agents. Nevertheless, we decided not to leave him alone. We have tried to help him in any way possible and I must say that he has been behaving in an exemplary manner since he signed with us.”
Tonali
Giuseppe Riso, Tonali’s agent, confirmed earlier on Tuesday that the latter is struggling with a gambling addiction. “Sandro suffers from a gambling addiction,” the agent admits. “He is fighting to overcome this and I am sure he will win this difficult battle.”
“He is sad and still in shock,” says Piso, who expresses his word of thanks to Tonali’s employer. “I would like to thank Newcastle for supporting Sandro so well. He is currently training and could play on Saturday (against Crystal Palace, ed.).”
“I hope that fighting this gambling addiction problem will not only save Sandro’s life but also the lives of other young men affected by the same problem,” Piso continued. “Sandro understands that he must focus on his problem and tackle the problem in a strong and determined manner,” the agent concluded.
Zaniolo
La Gazzetta dello Sport has already revealed that another suspect, Zaniolo, has told his family that he is innocent. “I don’t bet, especially not on football. I played on online platforms that I didn’t know were illegal, but on poker or blackjack. That’s all,” the attacking midfielder is said to have said.
2023-10-17 15:08:00
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