More information and background continues to emerge on the gambling scandal that involves several Italian players, with Sandro Tonali among them.
Corriere della Sera (via MilanNews) speaks about what has been a difficult recent period for Tonali. After a sleepless night in Coverciano with the Italian national team, the Newcastle player headed to Milan where he reunited with his family and agents.
Once he was with them, he let loose his tension and tears as per the newspaper. The former Brescia man has understood his mistakes and has shown himself to be inclined to accept help – as suggested by his agents – to overcome his gambling addiction.
The player has already made himself available to the FIGC for a series of meetings to raise young people’s awareness of the behaviours to adopt and avoid pertaining to gambling.
Tonali is described as having ‘fallen into the trap of illegal betting more out of superficiality than malice’ and he has also received the first demonstration of support and support from his current club, Newcastle, and manager Eddie Howe.
Only when the story becomes clearer and the real contours of Tonali’s involvement are understood will it be possible to have a more precise idea of what awaits.
The gambling companies are the criminals.
They should go after the gambling companies for every penny he’s gambled.
Gambling companies accept money from anyone. They help launder money for people who trade in child trafficking and child pornography. That’s the sort of scum you’re dealing with.
They facilitate murderers, heroin dealers and even terrorism.
They deliberately target people with severe addictions who they know can’t afford to repay the debts.
Scum.
Tonali deserves all the support he can get. His fame and fortune don’t change the fact that he’s young and human.
You’ll always be the man who helped us get to 19. Stay strong.
I agree there is probably a generational problem with betting. There are reportedly dozens of young Italian players involved in this case, and it’s said that criminal organisations and mafia are involved (rumours only, for now).
Gambling companies target young people, they depict betting as a cool lifestyle through advertisement for years now, rappers and sport stars promote it, now it seems like the generation of Tonali, Zaniolo, etc. that grew up with this has a big problem.
Hey, I read an article which said Buffon is also involved in this gambling case? Can anyone clarify in what degree because it was written in Italian?
I just read that Buffon was present as a representative when the police came to arrest Tonali and Zaniolo at Azzuri’s camp. If he’s involved too, as an executive of the national team, this is much deeper than we thought.
The major problem is that it’s reportedly a matter of illegal gambling, so it involves illegal/criminal organisations and the players would be in trouble not just with FIFA/UEFA but also in regard of the law. It seems that the investigation is running for months.
He played blackjack and roulette. Don’t make up stories that don’t exist. Nothing is deeper, it is just that it was “illegal”, which is also a grey area.
Yeah you’re right, they do nothing against those companies
Why they don’t wait after the England match, self destructing the nazionale.
FORZA Sandro
Just say no. I am sure Sandro can afford to pay his debts?? Blame car and motorbike manufacturers who target people who love to go fast. It’s addictive and kills?? Your addiction pails into significance when you look at this.
You think like we’re in the 19th century. Addiction is a disease, there is a lot of literature and research on the matter from doctors and experts. Good for you if you’re not concerned but people from low to middle classes, especially uneducated people, are targets for gambling dealers that master communication tools. You compare bets with cars but there are a lot of regulations when driving (driving licence, speed enforcement, etc.). Who is addicted to cars or reckless driving? Compare it with drugs, see what opium did to China for example.
Compare it with guns. Do you think we should stop the companies making them or the id***s using them to murder people? What do you think? I think that every person is responsible for their actions and it is pretty simple to understand. If what you are saying is true everyone would be addicted to gambling but in reality it is not even 10% of the population. Why? Some people are smarter than others, always have been and always will be. I don’t see why should something be banned because we have stupid people, or criminals and so on…
And yet, a majority of gun murders (in the U.S.A.) are domestic violence cases where the perpetrator has no prior record. The second highest category is “mass shootings”, which occur with alarming regularity. No other country with a comparable standard of living has the gun violence rate that the U.S.A. has because gun ownership is restricted. No gun, no murder, and certainly no mass shootings. Guns serve no purpose beyond being a tool to kill. There is no other use for them.
You think like all the new kids who blame everything other than themselves for their sh*tty problems
Exactly. Every person is responsible for their actions, only weak minds try to find blame in others. Are gun manufacturers guilty for the murders committed by people?
Only weak people blame others for their mistakes. Not a single gambling company is guilty for Tonali. He is responsible for his actions, like all men should be. You know what I think of you from what I wrote, don’t have to say it.
Spot on man, these people always find excuses, so weak and soft. Zero responsibility for their own actions.
Exactly. Blaming addiction is just saying, I’m weak and can’t control my own impulses. Oh wow that must be somebody else’s fault. Yeah right, look in the mirror.
Blaming the betting companies is just stupid, nobody forces anyone to bet. If there is any small blame to be placed it is on governments for allowing, even encouraging betting, but again, you don’t have to.
What is this? Sparta? Are we going to throw the “weak” ones off the cliff? The definition of addiction is not being able to control yourself. Opiods, for example, create an uncontrollable physical dependency. Watch interviews of addicts on the YouTube channel “Soft White Underbelly”. You will see how complicated it is.
Dude, no one put a gun to these people’s head and forced them to do opioids. And I have had quite a few family and friends that passed away as a result of addiction to blues, percs, heroine, etc. The person makes the choice, one can’t buy an addiction. Accept responsibility for your bad choices and being weak.
Alright Clark Kent. Hopefully I will find sleep tonight despite some random close minded guy behind his keyboard judged me on the Internet.
To respond to your previous posts, if it’s illegal, then the tenant is obviously a criminal. Also, let’s legalize guns and drugs everywhere in the world and see how things turn. Now Im just trying to understand the situation with the information we have, but some of the people here including you cancel every debate and just bully people that don’t assess their personal thinking on subjects they are clearly not experts about.
Is online gambling illegal in Italy? Obviously if you are a player you can’t bet on games, but just in general?
According to some reports (Corriere dela Sera), he has not been gambling on football. Apparently he was kind of addicted on blackjack and roulette.
If that’s true, probably he won’t have any issues – other than a small stain on his reputation.
The sad thing is it states in Italian football rules they are not able to bet . be it on poker roulette most of all football , I hope for Newcastles sake that it amounts to a slap on the wrists . the other question being how do we get the money we paid for him back if he’s gets a three year ban because its a world wide ban ?
Maybe Milan new about the investigation and let him go.
Your screen name is Rossoneri and you are accusing your own team? Shame on you. There is no indication whatsoever that Milan knew about this. They sold him fast because they needed the money fast to start a huge market action that signed 10 players; not doing it fast would result in late market action and it backfires; you saw what happened with the Taremi attempt that was left to be done last. While the accuser Corona singled out Juventus as knowing about it, he said absolutely nothing about Milan knowing about it as well, so what you are saying is completely unwarranted.
Thank you everyone for your input.
Everything since the acquisition has been near perfect.
However on this one occasion perhaps not.
We have been told that the character and back ground of players are looked into before they are signed. What happened this time?
We were led to believe we were close to signing James Maddison for £40,000,000 plus. A skilful English international and in particular experienced in the premier league. Why sign Tonali instead who has struggled with the pace and physicality of the league?
Being really picky I don’t believe another player would have hesitated going in to block the shot and turned their back for the West Ham equaliser.
This is my first ever response in over 40 years as a supporter and is only intended as an alternative view on the thinking behind this particular transfer.
You literally have no clue about football if you are talking about Maddison and Tonali in that way. They don’t even play on the same positions, completely different type of player. Why didn’t you sign Neymar instead of Botman?
No matter the criticism you recieve, I agree with you, I would not be surprised if A.C knew something in advance, not saying they did but this investigation did not happen overnight, maybe a year of turning over stones.
Toonali is now a Geordie, we don’t judge people for their problems we help them get over them and educate them to be better and stronger, Now we know why he doesn’t smile much coz the young lad is suffering in silence,up or Doon we stand together for life. #nufc
Sorry your club is like as small as ants to AC Milan
Draconian rules. I understand the rules are the rules and they need to be followed no matter what, but give me a break, he can’t even play cards!?
Yes, it is stupid but I think it is more because he played in an “illegal” online place probably. If he went to a land based casino and spent 20M€ on a live roulette table, nobody would tell him anything. And that is ridiculous.
I’ll wait until all the facts are available rather than partaking in another trial by media.
Anyone who hasn’t should watch Paul Merson’s documentary on it. He’s brutally honest about himself and the largerissue. He also raises some damning stories about these gambling companies. Some are very upsetting.
I have huge respect for Merson
Well i agree that people has a responsebility for their own life and choices but comparing gun legislation with gambling or drug use is downright farcical. People who has gambling, drug or alcohol dependecy isnt necessarily weak minded but when using drugs or even seeing adds for gambling can activate endorphins in the brain and will trigger the bodys own opiates and they will then have a pleasure feeling so it goes far beyond just having a strong will as it goes down to biology within our brains and that goes for everybody.
Since when betting is illegal ? I understand it’s forbidden for footballers but it is not illegal in general.
Well if for example i or someone else took bets from people around here without having a license would constitute illegal gambling. There are both the question of tax evation, shady people laundering money and also the use of gangster methods in forcing people to pay their debts with the threat of for example violence.
Normal gambling is a different matter as its regulated by law and for example in my country denmark betting companies are forced to pay some money to help those with ludomania.
Betting in itself is not illegal but there are illegal platforms; allegedly Sandro used 3 of the illegal ones. So this is a felony according to article 720 of the Italian Penal Code and it carries a prison sentence of up to 6 months which can be reduced with the circumstances (like a plea deal in which Sandro would agree to treatment and to a series of ads raising awareness to gambling addiction, which apparently he is willing to do). Now, the sports part, FIGC and UEFA consider that players cannot place bets or else they’ll be punished. This is not a felony but is an internal rule for the sports judicial authority. So we don’t know yet what will happen to Sandro. I’ve seen interviews on Italian TV with authorities saying that Sandro didn’t seem to act with malice. So, maybe he’ll get a deal and a slap on the wrist. I hope so. But it is not a given, since GIFC rules establish a 3-year ban for these cases, which again, can be reduced, for example when the player engages in full cooperation with the FIGC and did not bet on his own team. Sandro has already acknowledged a gambling addiction and has confirmed betting so it’s no longer an issue of “innocent until proven guilty” but I hope his willingness to cooperate results in a lighter punishment.
Of course it is highly hypocritical to have “illegal” platforms (they are probably illegal in the fact that they evade taxes to be paid to the State) while there are legal ones and the State even sponsors lotteries which is another form of gambling. And then when these young men are caught, they are severely punished.
I’m for severely punishing someone who throws a game to win a bet (or engages in coordination with a player from another team so that they throw games for each other without betting on their own teams, to have plausible deniability – this actually is not allowed either; the rules are that a player cannot place a bet on his own discipline) but this does not seem to be Sandro’s case.
I’m rooting for Sandro to recover from this. He is no longer a Milan player but I like him (my Scudetto jersey has his name and number).
Tonali cried – whatever! He knew exactly what he was doing and he is 100% responsible for his actions and deserves the consequences of his wrong doing. No, it is not gambling companies’ fault – it’s his. Crying won’t help, little too late for that and I believe it’s just an act. These young players have too much money and no brain, therefore waste their lives doing illegal stuff.
Seems like the timing for Milan’s Tonali sale couldn’t have been any better.
For sure, im the opposite of a conspiracy theorist, but they must have needed a few engineers to work with the data science team. In my experience those guys can find just about anything…
That said, it’s truly a rough time for anyone who is more inclined towards that kinda thing. Michael Jordan famously gambled a lot and continues to. I hope its not any games he took part in as that would be it. The leagues would need to protect the integrity of the game (product).