Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali is set to receive a ten month ban from football for his part in the Italian football betting scandal.
That’s according to Gazzetta dello Sport and Sky Sports Italy today, who both say an ‘agreement has been reached’ between the player and Federal Prosecutors in Italy.
Gazzetta kick things off by stating that Tonali will receive a ten-month disqualification, which will include another eight months of social sanctions and rehabilitation for gambling addiction.
The player, his entourage and the prosecutors have agreed on the terms of his plea deal but that has not been announced as yet as they are still working on logistical issues.
These are the ‘alternative penalties’ which have been introduced alongside the football ban, with the player needing to undergo an anti-gambling treatment plan and serve time as a representative against compulsive and illegal gambling at ‘some amateur sports associations’.
Thus, a logistical solution is being worked on, with the plan for him to do his extra services for eight months, but reaching an agreement on that front is more difficult than expected.
Thus, unless there is a last-minute acceleration, an announcement is unlikely to be made today and Tonali will be available for Newcastle’s clash with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
The plea bargain process is a complicated one as it requires the green light from the general sports attorney, Ugo Taucer, and that of the federal president Gabriele Gravina. Only then can documentation be sent to UEFA to extend the ban to international level.
All of this takes time and despite an agreement being largely in place, nothing can officially be signed off, so Tonali can play tonight as a result. He will also be allowed to train with his teammates for the length of his ban.
Sky back all of this up and say, ‘the agreement has been reached’ and Tonali will miss the rest of this season and the 2024 European Championship as well.
His plea agreement has satisfied both parties, with the Federal Prosecutor satisfied that a 10-month ban, and 8-10 months of additional sentences is enough of a punishment for the player.
There is no official confirmation but that is now a matter of when not if, as Gazzetta have detailed, and Tonali’s season will be over once it is announced.
