Sandro da Chinè’s lawyers to define the plea agreement: they are aiming for a year’s break, which could arrive before the Champions League
20 October – MILAN
The indication is clear: the Tonali-betting case must be closed in record time. As is known, the Newcastle player admitted to the federal prosecutor’s office, as well as to that of the Republic of Turin, that he had bet on football and Milan, violating the art. 24 of the FIGC Sports Justice Code. I confess myself guilty, therefore, but awaiting trial. A position that in the frenetic world of football, which consists of a match every three days, risks causing serious embarrassment. Is it possible that Sandro Tonali, despite having officially violated the Code, peacefully continues to play with the Newcastle shirt? The answer is yes, at least until a plea agreement is reached, a path chosen by the former AC Milan player immediately after being reached in Coverciano by the Piedmont prosecutor’s notice on the accusation of having bet on illegal sites.
Meeting on Monday
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For this reason, also given the pressure from UEFA on the FIGC, it is pushing hard to close the case as soon as possible. Monday 23rd will already be a key day: after Tonali’s interrogation last Sunday, the lawyers (this time without the player) will meet the federal prosecutor Giuseppe Chinè again with the common goal of reaching an agreement. It must be said that no matter how much one wants to hurry, the topic is serious and rarely is an agreement found that convinces the accuser and the accused at the first attempt. But this is a special case. In fact, we would like to formalize the plea agreement before Wednesday evening’s Champions League match between Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund, to put down on paper the player’s responsibilities and the times and methods of the disqualification. A first official document therefore, even if for Tonali’s stop to become effective it will require the approval of the General Prosecutor’s Office for Sport at CONI (it took two days for Fagioli) and a formal communication from Chinè to UEFA with the request to apply the sanction in England. It is difficult but not impossible for everything to be formalized before Wednesday. Having said that, if Newcastle still let Tonali play a few hours after a plea deal obtained for a clear violation (with aggravating circumstances) they certainly wouldn’t emerge with the fair play award.
The disqualification
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Also in light of Fagioli’s sanction (7 months plus 5) who however never bet on his own team, Tonali risks being away from the pitch for at least 12 months, to which will be added a variable number of months of alternative prescriptions (probably five like the Juventus player), i.e. a therapeutic path and various meetings as testimonials in the fight against gambling addiction. The discussion between Chinè and the player’s lawyers will revolve around that “at least” 12 months. It remains clear that in the event that new facts deemed relevant to determining sporting violations should emerge from the Turin Prosecutor’s Office in the coming months, the prosecutor will open a new file, with new accusations which, if proven, will lead to new penalties.
His role
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In discussing the terms of the plea agreement, the defense will underline how Tonali immediately wanted to clarify his position, however uncomfortable it was, given that having bet on Milan and Brescia constitutes an aggravating factor in determining the sentence. And then his collaboration, which is very different from the admission of guilt because it must be such as to inform the Prosecutor’s Office of circumstances (whether facts or names) of which the investigator was not yet aware. In his interrogation before Chinè, Tonali would also have clarified at length his position with respect to Fagioli’s statements (“It was he who suggested Icebet to me and there were rumors in the community that he also had huge debts around”). The Newcastle talent stressed that he was just a punter and never wanted or had to involve teammates or friends. After all, he doesn’t seem to have mentioned any names.
October 20, 2023 (changed October 20, 2023 | 00:05)
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2023-10-19 22:01:46
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