The lawyers representing Aston Villa midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo in the ongoing investigation into illegal betting in Italy have insisted they will do their utmost to protect the player in the case.
The lawyers, Gianluca Tognozzi and Antonio Conte, have been speaking to Corriere dello Sport about the case as the Aston Villa continues to maintain he has done nothing wrong.
Unlike Nicolo Fagioli and Sandro Tonali, Zaniolo is yet to speak to the prosecutors or offer up his testimony.
He has maintained consistently that he has done nothing wrong, insisting that he has only bet on poker and blackjack and never on football, albeit on illegal betting platforms.
Again, unlike the other two he is not aiming for a plea bargain and reports in Italy have claimed that so far there is no evidence against the Aston Villa midfielder.
His stance has always been a tough one and his representatives have reiterated that today taking a strong stance in their latest comments.
“As soon as the interrogation is carried out, we will proceed, where the conditions are met, to immediately refer the matter to the competent authorities for the maximum protection of the personal image and professional reputation of our client, and also of his family,” Corriere report them stating.
What happens remains to be seen then, with the prosecutor’s office meeting with Tonali’s lawyers today to deal with his plea bargain.
Once that is sorted the attention will presumably turn to Zaniolo and a very different affair, with him and his lawyers nowhere near as compliant as the Newcastle and Juventus midfielders to date.
