Tonali's 10-month ban now in effect worldwide, FIFA says after approving Italian request
NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Sandro Tonali's 10-month ban for betting violations went into effect Friday, FIFA said after approving Italy's request that the Newcastle midfielder's suspension be upheld worldwide.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe earlier said that Tonali could still play this weekend because the Premier League club hadn’t been officially informed of the ban.
“The request submitted by the Italian Football Association to extend the sanction it imposed on the player Sandro Tonali on (Friday) to have worldwide effect has been granted,” FIFA said in a statement.
The Italian federation said Thursday that Tonali was given a ban that would rule him out of the rest of the Premier League season as well as next year’s European Championship should Italy qualify.
The 23-year-old Tonali, who became the second player suspended in the widening case, agreed to a plea bargain with the federation that included therapy for a gambling addiction.
Ahead of Saturday’s game at Wolverhampton, Howe said there was a “high chance again that he could be available for us” because the club hadn't received official confirmation.
It's was unclear if Tonali will be able to train with Newcastle during the ban.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to but again we’re waiting confirmation of that — we don’t know,” Howe said.
Tonali has come on as a substitute in the past two games. He was as a 65th-minute replacement in the 1-0 loss at home to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
Newcastle paid a reported 65 million euros ($69 million) to AC Milan for the promising midfielder, who signed a five-year contract with the English club.
Tonali’s agent, Giuseppe Riso, recently acknowledged that his client has a gambling problem and that Tonali told prosecutors he bet on AC Milan and Brescia games when he played for those clubs.
The federation acted following an investigation by Turin prosecutors into soccer players using illegal websites to bet on games.
Tonali’s cooperation with authorities allowed the minimum ban of three years for players betting on soccer matches to be greatly reduced.
Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina said Tonali was suspended for 18 months but that eight of those months were commutable by attending treatment for gambling addiction and making at least 16 public appearances at centers for young soccer players and associations for recovering addicts.
Last week, Juventus midfielder Nicolò Fagioli was banned for seven months after agreeing to a plea bargain with the federation that also stipulates he undergoes therapy for a gambling addiction.
Unlike Fagioli, Tonali admitted he bet on his team’s games when he played for Milan, but always for them to win so there was no suggestion of match-fixing.
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