Newcastle United and Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali is reportedly at risk of a lengthy suspension after admitting to betting on AC Milan matches during his time at the club.
The 23-year-old is one of a handful of Azzurri players to have become embroiled in an illegal gambling scandal over the past week, following an investigation from Italian prosecutors.
Both Tonali and Aston Villa's Nicolo Zaniolo were on duty with the Italian national team when the revelations came to light, and the pair subsequently withdrew from Luciano Spalletti's squad.
In addition, Juventus youngster Nicolo Fagioli also admitted to gambling on illegal platforms and could have faced a three-year ban, but he has only been suspended with seven months as part of a plea deal.
Tonali - whom Fagioli alleged introduced him to the betting platform - is yet to face an official sanction, but his agent has now confirmed that the midfielder has been struggling with a gambling addiction.
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According to Sky Sports News, Tonali faced the allegations during a hearing at the Italian Federation on Tuesday, and he confessed that he had bet on AC Milan matches while playing for the club.
The lynchpin was on the books at San Siro for three years between 2020 and 2023, initially joining on loan from Brescia before his stay was made permanent for €14.5m (£12.6m) in the summer of 2021.
While donning the Rossoneri colours, Tonali scored seven goals and provided 13 assists in 130 matches across all tournaments and was an integral cog in Stefano Pioli's 2021-22 title-winning team.
The report claims that Tonali only bet on Milan to win games - including ones that he was not involved in - but he could potentially be suspended for the game for three years for his actions.
As well as agreeing to a plea deal, Fagioli's lighter sentence also took into account the fact that he did not gamble on matches for Juventus or Cremonese while he was representing either club, and Tonali is therefore expected to be banned for longer.
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Nevertheless, the former Brescia midfielder is unlikely to be handed a full three-year sentence, as he admitted his guilt and has co-operated with investigators during the process.
The report adds that Newcastle have been left "shocked and surprised" at the recent developments, but the Magpies are refusing to comment on the matter at this moment in time.
Without Tonali in the engine room, Italy slumped to a 3-1 Euro 2024 qualifying defeat to England on Tuesday evening, dropping out of the top two spots in Group C in the process.
Newcastle forked out £55.5m to bring Tonali to St James' Park this summer, and the 23-year-old has already become a key player for Eddie Howe, scoring once in 10 appearances so far.
The Magpies are back in Premier League action at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon before hosting Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League next Wednesday.
Ben Knapton
