Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali has been handed a conditional two-month suspension by the Football Association after he admitted to violating their betting regulations. The 23-year-old Italian will avoid this suspension if he refrains from further breaches until the end of the next season. Additionally, Tonali is currently serving a 10-month ban, effective until August, for similar offenses committed during his tenure in Italy. After his transfer from AC Milan to Newcastle last July, Tonali was charged in March for placing 40 to 50 bets on football, including four that involved Newcastle’s matches.
Tonali’s Betting Scandal and FA’s Response
The Football Association (FA) disclosed that the funds Tonali wagered on bets were substantially over 100,000 euros (£85,600), resulting in a fine of £20,000 for him. Tonali placed four bets on Newcastle, all backing his own team to win, participating in three of the games involved.
Newcastle has acknowledged that Tonali is actively engaging in a therapeutic and educational program supported by the club and will continue training with his teammates. An independent regulatory commission noted that the ordeal has profoundly impacted Tonali, an experience he wishes not to repeat. The commission also highlighted that without Tonali’s own admissions, the FA might have never uncovered his misconduct.
Detailed Review of Tonali’s Betting on Newcastle Matches
The official document released on Thursday detailed that Tonali confessed to placing bets on four Newcastle matches. These included:
- An accumulator bet that hinged on Newcastle defeating Brighton on 2 September 2023 or overcoming Burnley on 30 September.
- Another accumulator bet for Newcastle’s victory over Brentford on 16 September.
- A single wager on Newcastle’s win against Manchester City on 27 September.
- An accumulator that included a bet on Newcastle beating West Ham on 8 October.
Additionally, it was disclosed that Tonali participated in an FA training session regarding betting rules in August, merely nine days before he commenced betting. Despite attending the training, he struggled to grasp the content fully due to his limited proficiency in English.
