Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has swapped a prison sentence for a huge fine, to bring an end to the long running illegal betting case against him and others in Italy.
Corriere della Sera report on the case today. They state that Tonali asked for a €78,250 fine rather than a prison sentence to bring the case to an end.
Newcastle United star sentenced
The newspaper explains that sentencing has now taken place on the case, which saw Tonali and Nicoló Fagioli facing time in prison and suspended by FIFA.
The two organisers of the affair were sentenced to two years and three months, and two years. Meanwhile three partners who owned Milanese jewellery company Elysium Group srl were sentenced to two and a half years for money laundering.
That business acted as a front for football players to pay off their gambling debts. They would make regular bank transfers to purchase luxury Rolex watches that they never collected. The watches were, in fact, fake.
Tonali chooses a fine
The Newcastle United midfielder and Fagioli were the headline names of the case. But another 18 people, including football players, were also handed fines to be paid off.
But Sandro Tonali and Nicoló Fagioli faced additional punishment in the Milan criminal case. They were also charged with advertising illegal platforms to other players. That offence carries a prison sentence of up to three months and a fine.
A plea bargain saw that reduced to a month, but the pair chose different routes. While Fagioli has chosen a suspended sentence, Tonali chose to ask for a fine to be issued. This was handed down at €78,250, with an extended exchange rate of €250 per day.
That brings an end to the case, providing Tonali and Fagioli with a fresh slate moving forwards. That could be key, particularly for the Newcastle man, who has been heavily linked with a potential return to Italy this summer.
