Sandro Tonali: Newcastle United Midfielder Given 10-Month Ban
Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has been handed a 10-month ban by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) for breaching betting regulations. The 23-year-old, who joined the Premier League club from AC Milan this summer in a £55m deal, has been banned from all football activities until the end of the current season and the early weeks of the 2024-25 campaign.
The ban also rules Tonali out of Euro 2024 for Italy. Newcastle are said to be assessing all their legal options in a bid to learn if they are entitled to financial compensation.
Tonali admitted to placing several bets on football matches, including Milan games, during a meeting with Italian authorities last week. The ban was announced by the president of the Italian football federation (FIGC), Gabriele Gravina, who said that Tonali will be suspended for 10 months and will undergo a rehab programme for an additional eight months.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, however, has insisted the club have not yet received ‘official confirmation’ of Tonali’s ban and that he is available to face Wolves on Saturday.
‘It’s difficult because we haven’t had that official confirmation as a football club yet,’ Howe said on Friday. ‘We’ve heard the news and speculation, but we haven’t had anything from the Italian authorities at the moment so we’re in limbo really waiting for that official confirmation to come through. I think there’s a high chance he could be available for us [against Wolves]. There has to be a few things that have to happen before the ban is imposed so lets see.’
The ban has been met with disappointment from fans of both Newcastle and Italy, with many questioning why Tonali was given such a harsh punishment for his actions. The midfielder had been tipped to become one of Europe’s top players in the coming years and his absence from the game for such a long period of time will be a huge blow for both clubs.
The FIGC have defended their decision, citing that Tonali’s actions were in breach of their rules and regulations and that they had to take action to ensure that similar incidents do not occur in the future.
It remains to be seen whether Newcastle will appeal the decision or accept the ban, but it is clear that the club are keen to ensure that Tonali’s career is not affected too much by this incident.
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