Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli will serve a seven-month ban from football for breaching FIGC (Italian FA) rules on gambling.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office of the FIGC has handed Fagioli a 12-month ban, five of which will be commuted with the 22-year-old to undertake community service instead.
His community service entails speaking at amateur clubs, federal training centres and charities that deal with addiction.
Fagioli will also undergo therapy for six months and has been fined €12,500.
FIGC rules state that players are forbidden from placing or taking bets, directly or indirectly, in competitions organised under the purview of FIFA, UEFA and the FIGC.
As per the FIGC statement on Tuesday, Fagioli was found to have breached 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.
Fagioli’s lawyers confirmed to The Athletic last week that his bets were on football but not on his own team, Juventus.
In Tuesday’s announcement about Fagioli, the FIGC confirmed it had reached “an agreement” with Fagioli regarding his punishment.
Fagioli was the first footballer named in connection with the probe by the Turin flying squad into illegal betting platforms, with Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali and Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zanioli also questioned by police as part of the investigation.
That probe is not specifically linked to football but as the Turin flying squad was gathering evidence relating to these illegal online betting platforms, it identified not only the group running them but the users.
Two days before the police visited Italy’s training camp to talk to Tonali and Zaniolo last week, 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.
At the end of August, the player informed the federal prosecutor of the FIGC of the situation.
GO DEEPER
Tonali and Zaniolo betting probe: The accusations, potential punishments - and can they play on?
(Photo: Filippo Alfero – Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images)
If you are struggling with a gambling problem in the UK, contact The National Gambling Helpline (run by GamCare) — call 0808 8020 133 for free 24 hours a day, seven days a week for free information, support and counselling.
If you’re in the U.S., The National Council on Problem Gambling operates the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network. Help is available 24/7 and is 100 per cent confidential. Call 1-800-GAMBLER, Chat 1800gamblerchat.org, Text 800GAM.
