Sandro Tonali Could Receive A Higher Ban Than Fagioli As Reports Of More Names Surfaces
Written By Onyeka Daniel
Yesterday, it was confirmed that Juventus midfielder, Nicolo Fagioli will be banned for eight months after he entered a plea bargain for breaching betting rules and now, it’s the turn of Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo to learn their fate. For the former Milan midfielder who joined Newcastle United in the summer, he has reportedly admitted that he gambled on Milan matches when he was under contract with the Rossoneri.
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But not eligible to play, so it is almost certain he will get a longer ban than Fagioli. Tonali spoke to the Turin Prosecutor on Tuesday afternoon and according to reportsz he has been interrogated twice by the FIGC Prosecutor Giuseppe Chiné since last week.
If this is confirmed, the 23-year-old would not be suspected of match-fixing and breach of Article 30 of the Code of Sports Conduct given that he did not influence a game or a competition by gambling on Milan games when he was not eligible to play.
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Like his compatriot Fagioli, Tonali is telling authorities everything he knows about the case and has sought help treating his gambling addiction, as confirmed by his agent Beppe Riso recently. By doing so, Tonali could negotiate a plea bargain with the FIGC Prosecutor, hoping to reduce his suspension too, but there are differences with the Fagioli case.
First of all, the Juventus midfielder also gambled on football games, but not on those of his club. The fact that Tonali gambled on Milan games while under contract with the Rossoneri means the starting point for the FIGC Prosecutor would be a ban higher than three years.
Given Tonali’s collaboration and the fact that he wants to treat his gambling addiction, the Prosecutor could halve the ban’s length and cut it further if the player’s claims match what investigators have found in his devices, seized at Coverciano last week.
Of course, it is difficult to predict Tonali’s suspension now, but given the circumstances, the Newcastle midfielder may get a one-year suspension plus five months of treatment alternatives and public appearances.
Some new names have now emerged in the betting scandal with Fabrizio Corona revealing three new names who are said to have been involved in the scandal. Three more names have started floating around and they are, Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Federico Gatti (Juventus) and Nicolò Casale (Lazio) but no confirmation yet.
Nicola Zalewski was also previously revealed to be involved in the case and rumours suggested that he had bet on Roma matches. But the investigations haven’t yet begun on the Polish star and his entourage are considering legal action. The source had come out to say that he made up the charges against Zalewski, in a podcast, but he didn’t reveal himself yet.
Whether the three names are actually involved in the scandal or not remains to be seen but Gatti’s name has popped up once in the case already. Fagioli revealed that he had asked Gatti for a certain sum of money when he himself was in debt, but he didn’t mention the real reason for the demand, stating that he needed money to buy a watch.
Meanwhile…
Milan have spent the last few months ensuring that they are well set for the future. They recently tied Rafael Leão down to a new contract and are aiming to do the same with Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez. Maignan is seen as one of the central figures in the Milan team, and his renewal is essential in the club’s eyes.
Maignan is obviously also aware of his own worth, as according to reports, he is asking for a lot of money to sign a new deal. He is currently earning €2.8 million a year, but if he were to commit to a new deal he would want €8 million a year.
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This is a salary increase of almost three times and would make him the highest earner at the club by a significant distance. Maignan wants to stay at the club and is not asking for this money as a way to put the club off. Both parties want the extension and will have to sort out an agreement.
Maignan has put Milan in a tricky situation where they will have to evaluate just how much they want to keep the Frenchman. In the end, it is expected that the club will try to make him accept around €5m while the player will try to keep his demand at €7 and in the end, both parties could end up at a figure around €6m or thereabout.
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