Sandro Tonali is banned for 10 months for betting

Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali was banned for 10 months by the Italian soccer federation on Thursday for betting on teams he played for. Tonali joined Newcastle from Milan on a five-year contract with the English club. He became the second player suspended in the widening case. Tonali's agent, Giuseppe Riso, recently acknowledged that his client has a gambling problem and that Tonali told prosecutors he bet on AC Milan and Brescia when he played for those clubs.

The federation acted following an investigation by Turin prosecutors into football players using illegal websites to bet on games. Tonali's ban means he will not be able to return in time for Euro 2024. Defending champion Italy has not qualified yet. His cooperation with authorities allowed the minimum ban of three years for players reduced to 10 months.

FIGC President Gabriele Gravina said Tonali was suspended for 18 months but that eight of those months were commutable by attending treatment for gambling addiction and making at least 16 public appearances at centers for young soccer players and associations for recovering addicts.

"We can't just think about punishing the boys and not helping them recover," Gravina added. "I think it's worth a lot more, rather than a month ban, eight months of giving talks about what they went through, in an honest way and with the right behaviour."

Last week, Juventus midfielder Nicolò Fagioli was banned for seven months after agreeing to a plea bargain with the federation.