Juventus midfielder Nicolò Fagioli received a seven-month ban from the Italian Football Federation in October for betting violations. On Tuesday, the 23-year-old met with a group of students and psychologists in Turin to discuss some of his issues, revealing how he started gambling.

he eventually sought help in May after reaching rock bottom

The Piacenza native explained that his gambling began when he was just 16 years old and that it gradually turned into a disease. He was part of the Juventus youth setup at the time and was “looking for dopamine without knowing it.” His situation got worse and he eventually sought help in May after reaching rock bottom.

When looking back at the reasons behind why he started betting, Fagioli speculates that he was possibly feeling lonely due to being far from his home. Having to stay away from football during his ban made the recovery more difficult.

He is now looking forward to getting back on the pitch and hopes to play in his team’s last Serie A game this season. The dream for Fagioli is to compete in this summer’s European Championship in Germany for the Italian national side. He earned his only cap to date for the senior team in November 2022.