Aston Villa midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo will ‘immediately return’ to England after the betting scandal involving himself and Sandro Tonali.
That’s according to Corriere della Sera, who say the midfielder will fly on a private jet back to England after a visit from his father to discuss the matter.
Zaniolo, alongside Tonali, has been accused of betting illegally on football matches, with Italian police visiting the Italy group at their Coverciano retreat yesterday.
They say Zaniolo is returning to Aston Villa on a private flight at some point today after meeting with his father Igor and his agents in Florence.
He has insisted to his agent and his family that while there was gambling involved “it was only poker and black jack” and nothing more. He denies having been involved in any kind of sports betting.
An investigation is now underway, with the newspaper explaining that the pair spent the night in Florence in a state of ‘disbelief’ at what had gone on.
They had found themselves in the middle of the potential scandal and even saw their phones and tablets confiscated by police, making communication with their families and agents ‘more complex’.
Now he’s set to return to England and make himself available to Aston Villa, awaiting the outcome of the Italian investigation into the matter.
