[Football] Italian footballers' betting investigation

[Bozza]

This story doesn't seem to have received much coverage, and I only stumbled across it last night.

Several Italian footballers, including Newcastle's Sandro Tonali and Villa's Nicolo Zaniolo are being investigated for gambling activities. Nicolo Fagiolo of Juventus has quickly confessed to betting on football matches, and has received a 12-month ban, with five months suspended.

Tonali's agent seems to have disclosed that Tonali has a gambling addiction.

Nicolo Fagioli banned for seven months over gambling breaches

Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli has been suspended after admitting to breaching betting rules.

www.90min.com

 

[Wozza]

Could be 40+ players, supposedly.

Radio report I heard suggested it's a far-reaching investigation into illegal gambling in Italy, going way beyond just football.

 

[Robdinho]

5live mentioned this last night; apparently, in Italy, it's a mandatory 3 year ban if found guilty, hence the players willingness to hold their hands up and negotiate a shorter suspension

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

5live mentioned this last night; apparently, in Italy, it's a mandatory 3 year ban if found guilty, hence the players willingness to hold their hands up and negotiate a shorter suspension

Or get out the country asap.

 

[BBassic]

For an industry that shoves gambling adverts all over TV screens, stadiums, players, programmes, websites and a whole other host of shit...they sure do have a problem with people gambling.

And before anyone says anything: players shouldn't be gambling on football matches.

But the hypocrisy is very real.

 

[Seagull58]

Tonali and Zaniolo were picked up by the Italian cops from the Italy training camp last Thursday and had to withdraw from the squad.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I'd be worried about any player signed from an Italian club this summer, clubs knew this was coming.

 

[Justice]

I'd be worried about any player signed from an Italian club this summer, clubs knew this was coming.

Are you worried about IGOR? The FA aren’t going to ban them some calling them out to be racist after the Toney ban.

 

[AlexBH]

I don’t understand why this is tolerated in any way. Any professional footballer caught gambling on football matches should receive an immediate and indefinite ban from all football related activities for life. Anyone that brings the game into disrepute and the integrity of the competition should play no part in football.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Are you worried about IGOR? The FA aren’t going to ban them some calling them out to be racist after the Toney ban.

If the Italian FA ban them it will be carried over to the PL, they have a gentleman's agreement in place for stuff like this.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I don’t understand why this is tolerated in any way. Any professional footballer caught gambling on football matches should receive an immediate and indefinite ban from all football related activities for life. Anyone that brings the game into disrepute and the integrity of the competition should play no part in football.

As we've seen with Toney and Tonali they just cry addiction and it becomes more difficult.

Toney should have been banned for 5 years, so should Tonali now he's admitted betting in his own team.

Surely betting on your own team is worse than being caught for a non performance enhancing drug?

 

[Seagull58]

It could be worse. In the NFL, Michael Vick got done for running a dog fighting ring. They do things differently over there.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

As we've seen with Toney and Tonali they just cry addiction and it becomes more difficult.

You raise an interesting point, has there been anyone who has not stated they have an addiction? Bit like celebs; it's always 'an error of judgement' , they were depressed and they're off to rehab after being caught having a few cheeky lines on a Friday night. There must be some who enjoy it and dont have a problem.

 

[Badger Boy]

All I've read so far is that Tonali was betting on Milan to win, presumably in the season they won the league. That doesn't seem like a problem to me because there's no conflict of interest but there is surely more to it. Like Toney only wanting to talk about his bets on himself as first goalscorer and not the ones against his team in games he isn't playing in.

 

[Seagull58]

As we've seen with Toney and Tonali they just cry addiction and it becomes more difficult.

Toney should have been banned for 5 years, so should Tonali now he's admitted betting in his own team.

Surely betting on your own team is worse than being caught for a non performance enhancing drug?

I don't see why betting your own team to win is such a bad thing, providing you're not betting on specific scores or number of goals.Obviously, it's against the rules and they shouldn't be doing it but it would, surely, influence them in a positive way, unlike betting against your own team.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

You raise an interesting point, has there been anyone who has not stated they have an addiction? Bit like celebs; it's always 'an error of judgement' , they were depressed and they're off to rehab after being caught having a few cheeky lines on a Friday night. There must be some who enjoy it and dont have a problem.

Addiction shouldn't be a way to get out of a long ban, how much money have they potentially won due to knowing line ups etc?

We only know about the bets they found.

Not sure Toney showed any remorse over it either, he was betting on matches his team played in, him getting booked and his side to lose.

Seems like potential match fixing.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I don't see why betting your own team to win is such a bad thing, providing you're not betting on specific scores or number of goals.Obviously, it's against the rules and they shouldn't be doing it but it would, surely, influence them in a positive way, unlike betting against your own team.

Should be zero tolerance, betting on own team winning could lead down the path of bribing others

 

[Seagull58]

Should be zero tolerance, betting on own team winning could lead down the path of bribing others

Yes, I recognise that and they shouldn't do it.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I wonder if gambling will migrate to "not good/cool" in the populous opinion like smoking and drink-driving have over the last 2-3 decades?

 

[Lenny Rider]

I wonder if gambling will migrate to "not good/cool" in the populous opinion like smoking and drink-driving have over the last 2-3 decades?

Possibly not, because of the possbile rewards.

As it said in the good book, "The love money is the root of all evil"

And HM Govt make far too much money out if it.