On the eve of Italy’s trip to Wembley, faces of three Azzurri stars stared up from espresso-stained newspapers in every coffee bar across the peninsula – but they had nothing to do with the crunch Euro 2024 qualifier against England.
The build-up to Tuesday’s game has been tumultuous to say the least, as an illegal betting probe threatens to throw Italian football into chaos once again.
Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali and Aston Villa winger Nicolo Zaniolo are at the epicentre of this rapidly moving story; both were sent back to their clubs from the Italy camp last Thursday after police began investigations into them as part of a probe into illegal betting platforms.
“Regardless of the nature of the events, considering that the two players are not in the necessary condition to face the matches scheduled for the next few days, the federation has decided, also for their protection, to allow them to return to their respective clubs,” said an Italian FA (FIGC) statement.
The sudden announcement of Tonali and Zaniolo’s departure came a day after news broke that the same Turin prosecutors were investigating Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli.
The Premier League pair’s electronic devices were seized, and there has since been endless debate around what will happen next amid swirling reports of several more unknown players imminently being named in the investigation, and the potential punishments that could be dished out.
On Monday, Gazzetta dello Sport’s headline said “Tonali at risk” in relation to alleged bets made on football games, while Corriere dello Sport claimed that the three players so far involved in the investigation “will miss the Euros” next summer.
Zaniolo’s lawyer said the Galatasaray-owned forward has “never placed bets” but had “possibly played poker and blackjack on illegal online platforms without knowing that they were.”
This is a significant point, as Article 24 of the FIGC sporting justice code forbids players from betting on FIGC, UEFA or FIFA-organised events, with a minimum three-year ban and €25,000 (£21,600) fine being the punishment for anyone who does.
If those rules are broken, one way of reducing the suspension is by collaborating with the authorities, and Italian media reports on Monday said that Fagioli will accept a plea bargain that could see him get a reduced ban due to self-reporting his actions and helping the investigation.
According to Corriere della Sera, Tonali has accepted help from a therapist for a gambling addiction, and there has been some sympathy shown to the players implicated in the investigation from the football world.
Italy Under-21 coach Carmine Nunziata called gambling “a sickness that must be cured” and added that “we must give a big hand to these guys to help them understand certain things.”
The story has dominated Italian news for much of the last week and provided an unwanted distraction for the Azzurri ahead of a massive game for their qualifying campaign, at the very venue where they were crowned European champions two years ago.
Since the two sides last met in Naples back in March, much has changed for Italy. They have a new coach in Luciano Spalletti, the man who masterminded Napoli’s first Scudetto in 33 years last season, after Roberto Mancini’s controversial decision to quit and quickly take the Saudi Arabia job.
“It was a tough night with a lot of bitterness about what has happened. The whole team is close to Tonali and Zaniolo,” Spalletti said after the pair were sent home.
The coach later called Tuesday’s clash “a match that will tell us what the future holds,” as, despite Saturday’s 4-0 win over Malta, the reigning European champions are at a crossroads.
A win would send Italy joint-top with England and three points clear of Ukraine with two November qualifiers remaining.
However, defeat would leave them level in second and facing a nerve-wracking finish next month against North Macedonia – the team that knocked them out of the World Cup play-offs last year – and a Ukraine side also bidding to break the top two.
For a team with a very shaky qualifying record in recent years, that is not a welcome prospect.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/Tjlrabh
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