Newcastle United and Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali is reportedly seeing a therapist to treat a gambling addiction amid an investigation by Italian prosecutors into alleged illegal betting.
The Italian football federation (FIGC) announced last Friday that both Tonali and Aston Villa's Nicolo Zaniolo have left the national team squad and will return to their respective clubs due to the ongoing investigation.
The decision has been made "for their protection", with both players deemed "not in the necessary condition" to represent their country in Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta – who Italy beat 4-0 on Saturday – and England next Tuesday.
According to Il Corriere della Sera, Tonali and Zaniolo were questioned by the police in Coverciano on Friday, and the former returned to his home in Milan later that day where he broke down in tears with his family following a sleepless night at the national team camp.
The report adds that Tonali is "scared" and aware that he is in the wrong after breaking the rules, and he should not have "given in to certain hobbies".
Tonali is said to have accepted the advice from his agents to see a therapist to overcome his gambling addiction.
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The 23-year-old is also understood to have agreed to make himself available to the FIGC to meet with younger players to open up about his experiences and explain why they should not follow the same path.
Newcastle allegedly sent a private jet to pick up Tonali from Milan on Saturday, with manager Eddie Howe and the club's staff ready to offer their full support to the midfielder.
Tonali joined Newcastle this summer from Milan for a reported £55m and he has seamlessly slotted into Howe's midfield, featuring in 10 games across all competitions including seven outings in the Premier League.
The 15-cap Italy international scored on his Premier League debut in a 5-1 victory over Aston Villa in August, while he has also started recent triumphs over Manchester City in the EFL Cup and against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League group stage.
Should Tonali and Zaniolo be found guilty of breaching betting rules, both players could be banned from football for three years under regulations in Italy.
The investigation involving Tonali and Zaniolo comes at a time when Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli is facing a parallel investigation by Italian prosecutors for illegal gambling activities and could face a similar punishment.
It remains to be seen whether Tonali will be involved in Newcastle's next Premier League game at home against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Oliver Thomas
