- Tonali has been caught up in a betting scandal that has rocked Italian football
- Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo is also being investigated by authorities
- Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’
Sandro Tonali is ‘a gambling addict’ and still ‘in shock’ after being caught up in a betting scandal, his agent has said.
Along with Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo and Juventus’ Nicolo Fagioli, the Newcastle star has been named as part of an investigation being conducted by prosecutors in Turin that has rocked Italian football.
Zaniolo and Tonali were both released from the Italy squad last week, after being questioned by Italian authorities who are investigating breaches of betting rules.
Speaking on Tuesday, Tonali’s agent, Giuseppe Riso, revealed his client suffered from gambling addiction had been left in a state of shock by the investigation.
‘Sandro suffers from gambling addiction,’ he told reporters during an event at the Italian embassy in London ahead of the Azzurri’s Euro 2024 qualifier against England on Tuesday.
Sandro Tonali’s agent revealed the Newcastle midfielder is a ‘gambling addict’
‘He’s fighting to avoid that and I’m sure he will win this difficult game. He’s sad and still in shock.’
Riso thanked Newcastle for their support and said the Italian had been training as normal and could feature against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.
He added: ‘I hope this gambling addition issue will help to save Sandro’s life as well as many other young guys affected by same problem.
‘Sandro understood that he has to focus on this issue and face gambling addition with strong, determined approach.’
Tonali joined Newcastle in the summer from AC Milan in a £52million deal and has made 10 appearances in all competitions for the Magpies, scoring on his Premier League debut.
On Monday, it emerged the 24-year-old was prepared to denounce himself in-front of prosecutors in Italy.
According to Il Messaggero, Tonali would look to meet with prosecutor Giuseppe Chine, with the meeting expected to take place next week.
The midfielder was dropped from Italy squad after being caught up in a betting scandal that has rocked Italian football
Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zanioli is also under investigation by prosecutors in Italy
Juventus star Nicolo Fagioli is reportedly willing to meet with the prosecutors to secure a more lenient punishment
The development came a day after reports in Italy suggested Fagioli was willing to meet with Chine to try and secure a reduced punishment.
Under Italian regulations, athletes are forbidden from betting on the sports in which they participate.
Mail Sport revealed that, rather than rush to judgement, Villa’s priority for Zaniolo is to comprehend fully the nature of the allegations and hear the player’s explanation.
At this stage, it is understood the 24-year-old will face no action from his club while the investigation is ongoing.
Reports in Italy suggest Zaniolo’s explanation is that he was playing blackjack on a site that he did not realise was illegal, and that he did not bet on football at all.