October 13, (THEWILL) – Italy midfielders Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo have been sent home from the national team’s training camp after criminal prosecutors launched an investigation into alleged gambling offences.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed on Thursday, that Tonali and Zaniolo were formally told of the probe by prosecutors from Turin at the training centre in Coverciano. Both players have now left the camp and will miss the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and England.
Italy are second in qualifying Group C level on seven points with Ukraine and North Macedonia. The news comes a day after FIGC prosecutors announced an investigation into Juventus’ Nicolo Fagioli over allegations he used fake IDs to place bets on illegal websites.
In a statement, the FIGC said that given the situation, it felt Tonali and Zaniolo were not in the right condition to face upcoming matches. The 23-year-olds, who play for Newcastle United and Aston Villa respectively, have 15 Italy caps each.
Disgraced paparazzo Fabrizio Corona had earlier claimed one of the players being probed had even made bets while sitting on the substitutes’ bench. If found guilty of illegal betting, they could face three-year bans and fines of €25,000 under FIGC rules.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
