Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali is reportedly facing a ten-month ban for betting transgressions, with the club reportedly considering legal action against AC Milan. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Not happy

The saga involving the most expensive Italian soccer player ever is continuing to rumble on. Revelations about Sandro Tonali came to light over the past couple of weeks, with the 23-year-old admitting to having placed bets on his own team before games.

reportedly facing a ten-month ban from the sport

He is reportedly facing a ten-month ban from the sport, which will mean that he won’t be able to play in the remainder of the English Premier League season for his club Newcastle United. The Lodi native will also have to complete extensive therapy while serving a ban.

The club only bought Tonali from AC Milan in July for €70m ($74m) and rumors have been doing the rounds that his former team was aware of the betting infractions before accepting the bid. Corriere dello Sport reported that Newcastle United might file a lawsuit as a result of this potential revelation. The Milan club has vehemently denied having any knowledge of the matter before selling the player.

Up in the air

Newcastle Manager Eddie Howe spoke about protecting his player when the news first broke about the betting transgressions. The team will reportedly freeze the wages of Tonali, who is on a reported annual salary of £7m ($8.5m).

Tonali has made 15 appearances for the Italian national side and he will miss Euro 2024 as a result of the expected suspension if the team qualifies.

Even if Tonali receives a suspension on Wednesday, he will still be able to play that night against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League at St. James’ Park as the ban won’t kick in until the next day. It is unclear if the team will decide to put the midfielder on the field due to the high-profile nature of the scandal.

A wide-ranging scandal

The other players caught up in the betting scandal are Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli and Nicolò Zaniolo, who is currently on loan at Aston Villa from Galatasaray. Fagioli has already received a seven-month ban from the sport, getting some leniency for cooperating with the authorities and committing to an extensive therapy plan.

The Italian Federation has very strict rules on players who commit betting offenses, with a ban of up to three years being a possibility for those who do not cooperate.

He will be able to keep training with his team and the club will continue paying his wages. Fagioli’s doctor has warned that it is statistically likely that other players are currently placing bets on games and suffering from addiction. The investigation into Zaniolo is ongoing and he is still playing for Aston Villa as he awaits his fate, featuring on Sunday against West Ham United.