Italian football was rocked by another off-field controversy on Thursday, when two Premier League-based current Italy internationals – Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo and Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United – were questioned by police in relation to an investigation around illegal betting.
This came after Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli had already been named in relation to the same probe.
The Athletic explains what we know – and what we don’t – about the story so far.
What happened on Thursday?
At around 6pm, officers from the Turin flying squad drove through the gates at Italy’s training base in Coverciano, a leafy Florence suburb. After training, they wished to question Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo in connection with a probe into illegal online betting platforms.
Cameras from RAI, Italy’s public broadcaster, showed both players as they were escorted to see the police by Gianluigi Buffon in his new role as the national team’s head of delegation, along with Emiliano Cozzi and Mauro Vladovich, general secretaries of the team and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) respectively. Officers confiscated their electronic devices and notified them they are under investigation by public prosecutors in Turin.
In a statement, the FIGC granted Tonali and Zaniolo leave from this international get-together on the basis that neither was in the right frame of mind to play in the European Championship qualification matches against Malta on Saturday and England three days later. Both left Coverciano this morning (Friday).
“It was a tough night,” Italy head coach Luciano Spalletti told Sky Italia. “When you have to bring home results (as Italy do against Malta and England as they fight to qualify for next summer’s finals in Germany), there’s always anxiety. But it was a different night with a lot of bitterness over what happened.
“The whole squad stands by Tonali and Zaniolo. We have to try to help them defend themselves but it is also right that justice takes its course and, if irregular things have been committed, then it’s right to pay for them.”
Luciano Spalletti says he was shocked by the allegations made about his Italy players (Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
What are Tonali and Zaniolo accused of doing?
It is alleged they were users of illegal online betting platforms. Betting is not criminalised in Italy, as long as punters use bookmakers licensed by the country’s customs and monopolies agency. If, on the other hand, a bet is placed with an unlicensed bookmaker, it is a criminal offence punishable by a three-month sentence or a fine on a sliding scale from €51,000-€516,000 (£44,100-£447,000/$53,500-$542,000).
Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported today that Tonali allegedly used a site called worldgame365.me while Zaniolo was said to have used Evoz9.fx-gaming.net. Both sites are illegal. It is not yet known whether it is claimed that the platforms were used to place bets on football.
ANSA, the Italian news wire, and La Repubblica claim sources close to Zaniolo say he admitted to using the platform but says he did not know it was illegal to do so and had only played card games on it.
The players are yet to say anything about the matter publicly. The Athletic has contacted their representatives to ask if they wished to respond to the allegations; Zaniolo’s declined to comment, Tonali’s did not respond.
Are they the only ones involved?
No. Juventus’ 22-year-old midfielder Nicolo Fagioli was the first footballer named in connection with the probe.
It should be specified that the investigation by the Turin flying squad is not specifically focused on football. But, in gathering evidence relating to these illegal online betting platforms, they identified not only the group running them but the users.
Two days prior to the police visit to Coverciano to talk to Tonali and Zaniolo, newspaper La Stampa reported that Fagioli, who made his full Italy debut less than a year ago, was already under investigation by public prosecutors in Turin as a user.
Nicolo Fagioli is one of Italy’s brightest prospects (Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
At the end of August, the player informed the federal prosecutor of the FIGC of the situation.
In a statement, Fagioli’s legal team said: “With reference to the news that appeared in the press today (October 11), we can state that our client is facing the matter with responsibility and a view to maximum transparency and collaboration with the ordinary and sporting judicial authorities, as demonstrated by the fact of being the first to take action in a timely manner with the federal prosecutor’s office (of the FIGC).”
The Athletic contacted Fagioli’s legal representative, who referred us to their earlier statement. Later, they confirmed Fagioli’s alleged bets were on football but were not related to his own team.
Today, Juventus issued a statement which read: “With regard to what has been reported by some media outlets, Juventus FC specifies that as soon as it received news of the possible involvement of its player Nicolo Fagioli in the issue of betting, it immediately and promptly contacted the FIGC Federal Prosecutor’s Office.”
How did this come to light?
On August 1, the notorious paparazzo Fabrizio Corona made a series of allegations on his Telegram account relating to Fagioli’s alleged gambling. The Athletic has not independently verified these claims, so is not publishing them here.
After La Stampa’s story about public prosecutors in Turin placing the player under investigation, Corona promised to make more allegations on Thursday. In the afternoon, he published a story on the Instagram page of Dillinger News. All it said was “Tonali and Zaniolo also bet.”
In the meantime, police in Milan asked Corona to come in for questioning as a person informed of the facts. Corona published the audio of the officers making the request and went along of his own volition.
Corona, 49, is known as the King of Paparazzi, who has a habit of watermarking his content with an image of him wearing a crown and smoking a cigar. His agency, Corona’s, “turned over €5m a month”, he said while appearing as a guest on Belve, a show on TV station RAI 2 late last month.
Corona was at the heart of the Vallettopoli scandal in 2006, an investigation, among other things, into the extortion of celebrities in showbusiness and sport, including footballers David Trezeguet and Alberto Gilardino.
In 2007, he spent 77 days in jail before being moved and placed under house arrest on health grounds. In 2015, the supreme court sentenced Corona to 13 years and two months for a range of offences.
But as of September 23, the Milan supervisory court granted him early release.
In his autobiography, Corona describes himself as a mythological creature, “half God, half s**t”.
Were Newcastle and Aston Villa aware of the allegations about their players?
Villa were yet to receive full information on the matter as of Friday afternoon and were awaiting additional guidance before deciding on their next steps. They have yet to make a formal comment.
Newcastle have also declined to comment on any aspect of developments with Tonali.
Nicolo Zaniolo, foreground, has been questioned by police (Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
Can they play while the investigation is ongoing?
Yes. They are innocent until proven guilty. Fagioli has played 365 minutes for Juventus this season and, while he didn’t feature in their most recent game, a 2-0 win in the Derby della Mole against neighbours Torino, he has featured in four of their five matches since the FIGC opened an investigation on the basis of his disclosure to the federal prosecutor on August 30.
More recently, Fagioli participated in the celebrations to mark the centenary of the Agnelli family’s ownership of the club, which included a legends game featuring Zinedine Zidane, Edgar Davids and Antonio Conte on Tuesday.
“Nicolo is calm and entirely focused on Juventus and the league,” his legal team added in a statement.
Giuseppe Chine, the federal prosecutor of the FIGC, opened an investigation into Fagioli at the beginning of last month and has 60 days to examine the evidence. Unless Chine requests an extension, an outcome in Fagioli’s case is expected in early November.
The same protocol will be followed with Tonali and Zaniolo. Now that public prosecutors in Turin have placed them under investigation, Chine can request the relevant documentation and open his own in a sporting sense.
Fagioli’s case is around six weeks ahead of those involving Tonali and Zaniolo, so they will not know their fate until December.
How serious are the potential punishments?
In a sporting sense, footballers are forbidden from placing or taking bets, directly or indirectly, in competitions organised under the purview of FIFA, UEFA and the FIGC.
If it were proven that the players did bet on football, they would be in breach of Article 24 of the sporting justice code. There is a provision in the same article for a ban of no less than three years for the violation and a fine of no less than €25,000. Such a ban would theoretically apply, in the case of Tonali and Zaniolo, to the Premier League.
In such circumstances, the suspension can be reduced by 50 per cent if a plea bargain is entered. Deals to commute a sentence have also been struck in the past if a perpetrator collaborates with the sporting justice system. That was the case with Vittorio Micolucci, who was banned for 14 months while playing for Ascoli in another betting scandal in 2011.
How is this being received in Italy?
It’s an international break, so this is the only story in town. But it would have been splashed all over the front pages regardless.
The Fagioli news was shocking enough but the sight of police cars descending on Coverciano hit differently. Fagioli was named the Serie A Young Player of the Year last season. Zaniolo was called up to the Italy squad before making his debut for Roma in 2018 — at the Bernabeu no less. Tonali became the most expensive Italian player of all time after moving from AC Milan to Newcastle for £55million this summer. They are the leading lights of the next generation.
Wednesday’s events evoked, in some respects, what happened in the build-up to Euro 2012 when Domenico Criscito was sent home from the Italy squad amid another betting scandal. Criscito missed the tournament, but was later cleared.
Does Italy have a track record with gambling problems?
Unfortunately, this is the latest in a long list of betting scandals to afflict Italian football.
The game’s age of innocence – which probably faded long before – ended on March 23, 1980 when television reporter Gianluca Galeazzi asked the studio to cut to him at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome because a police car had parked on the running track as arrest warrants were served on two Perugia players in what would become known as the Totonero match-fixing scandal.
The great Paolo Rossi was even caught up in it and served a two-year ban before returning for the 1982 World Cup finals, where he finished top scorer, won the tournament and later received the Ballon d’Or.
In contrast to other betting scandals, this one does not have a match-fixing angle.
Paolo Rossi, pictured scoring in the 1982 World Cup final, had been banned for match-fixing (Duncan Raban/Allsport/Getty Images/Hulton Archive)
Does Italian football – like English football – take money from gambling companies?
Five years ago, the Dignity Decree was passed into law by the Italian parliament. It forbids the advertisement of gambling and betting companies in whatever manner on whatever medium. This is why Italian clubs do not have front-of-shirt sponsors from the betting industry.
The legislation reportedly cost Italian football upwards of €100million and when Covid-19 hit, clubs lobbied for it to be relaxed.
In the meantime, cryptocurrency has filled the vacuum although the so-called ‘crypto winter’ has caused some sponsorship deals, like those struck between Inter and Roma with DigitalBits, to be cancelled over missed payments.
What does it mean for Newcastle?
Tonali was Newcastle’s flagship signing of the summer and has started eight of his new club’s first 11 games — immediately becoming part of the starting midfield rotation in both No 8 positions — including both Champions League fixtures.
He has not had an entirely trouble-free acclimatisation to English football. His energy and fitness in defence are evident, but he has occasionally struggled positionally. Having briefly lost his place to Sean Longstaff, he has started Newcastle’s last two matches due to Joelinton’s injury — and turned in his best all-round performance of the season in the 4-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain at St James’ Park.
Sandro Tonali scored on his Newcastle debut against Aston Villa (George Wood/Getty Images)
There have been no indications from the club that this investigation will influence his short-term availability at Newcastle.
However, any potential unavailability would be a major blow to head coach Eddie Howe, even if the imminent return to fitness of Joe Willock and Joelinton would cover for any immediate absence.
The long-term effects however, especially with Newcastle close to their FFP (financial fair play) limits, could be far more significant.
What does it mean for Villa?
Head coach Unai Emery views Zaniolo as a player who can be used in multiple positions across the forward line, predominantly operating from the left but having already played up front and on the right, compensating for injuries to Moussa Diaby and Leon Bailey.
Despite the player only joining Galatasaray from Roma in a €15million move in January, Villa’s president of football operations Monchi pushed for the 24-year-old in August, following the long-term ACL injury suffered by Emiliano Buendia in pre-season.
Monchi had known Zaniolo from their time together at Roma and, after a groin injury suffered a few weeks earlier, initially signed him on a season-long loan. Villa are covering Zaniolo’s wages and paying a £3million loan fee in a deal that includes an option to buy at the end of the season.
He helped to soften the blow of another setback to Jacob Ramsey, who similarly plays as the left-sided No 10 in Emery’s system but is now also out injured.
What happens now?
Due process needs to be allowed to take place in the criminal and sporting justice system under the presumption of innocence.
In the meantime, the players have lawyered up and can return to training with their clubs.
(Additional material: Jacob Whitehead and Jacob Tanswell)
(Top photos: Getty Images)
