Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali has been charged with misconduct in relation to breaches of the Football Association's (FA) betting rules. The 23-year-old has until April 5 to appeal.
Tonali was signed from Newcastle for £55m in the summer from AC Milan, but served a match-fixing ban while at AC Milan in October. His sentence was for ten months. In addition, he was fined around £17,000 and ordered to take part in an eight-month course of therapy to address his problems. His sanction was reduced after he reached a deal with the Italian prosecutor's office and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).
The ban means Tonali cannot play in official matches until August this year, although he is free to train with Newcastle and take part in friendlies. The midfielder will not be able to play at Euro 2024 with Italy, who is the current champion.
Tonali admitted betting on Milan to win certain matches during a hearing at the Italian federation in Turin. Without his cooperation, Tonali could have been banned for three years under FIFA rules for the original offences. Last year, the player's agent, Giuseppe Rizzo, confirmed that the player suffers from a gambling addiction. There have also been reports that he will receive therapy for this after his ban. /BGNES
