Tonali & Zaniolo questioned by Italian police for illegal betting activities | Tonali charged by FA for betting while at Newcastle

[rimaldo]

Will go back to Milan post-ban.

wanna bet?

 

[Acrobat7]

This is rather a mild punishment considering that he bet on his own team's games (That was him, wasn't it?).

 

[9 Stone Elvis]

This is rather a mild punishment considering that he bet on his own team's games (That was him, wasn't it?).

Bet on his own team to win though.

 

[Oranges038]

This is rather a mild punishment considering that he bet on his own team's games (That was him, wasn't it?).

Should have been banned for life.

 

[HTG]

Should have been banned for life.

Don't know about that. But ten months seems ridiculous. Especially when we consider that he apparently actively tried to get others involved in gambling.

 

[Oranges038]

Don't know about that. But ten months seems ridiculous. Especially when we consider that he apparently actively tried to get others involved in gambling.

10 months but he can still train and play in friendlies. Is extremely lenient.

Maybe life would be harsh, perhaps 20 years, until his playing career would surely be over. Should be banned for a minimum of 5 years from all football related activity.

 

[Alex99]

This is rather a mild punishment considering that he bet on his own team's games (That was him, wasn't it?).

It seems odd that these bans seem up to the discretion of the relevant national FA, but are enforced outside of them.

Surely it should be a UEFA/FIFA level decision?

 

[Bale Bale Bale]

Should have been banned for life.

For what? He didn't commit a crime. So he bet on some football matches, big deal. Unless he was found to be spot betting(like in Paqueta's case, allegedly) or manipulating games negatively against his own team then what is the problem really? It also shows no respect to gambling addiction, if that is indeed applicable to Tonali. He should be helped, not banned.

 

[baskinginthesun]

For what? He didn't commit a crime. So he bet on some football matches, big deal. Unless he was found to be spot betting(like in Paqueta's case, allegedly) or manipulating games negatively against his own team then what is the problem really? It also shows no respect to gambling addiction, if that is indeed applicable to Tonali. He should be helped, not banned.

You can get banned and get help. Both are fair cases. Priority should be getting help and recovering. A ban and a substantial one should have gone a long with it.

 

[Someone]

Does he keep getting paid by Newcastle during his ban?

 

[duffer]

Does he keep getting paid by Newcastle during his ban?

Depends what's in his contract. Possibly not.

 

[Oranges038]

For what? He didn't commit a crime. So he bet on some football matches, big deal. Unless he was found to be spot betting(like in Paqueta's case, allegedly) or manipulating games negatively against his own team then what is the problem really? It also shows no respect to gambling addiction, if that is indeed applicable to Tonali. He should be helped, not banned.

Because he knew the rules and he broke the rules, that should have proper consequences. Addiction or not, he should get a fairly lengthy ban. If he wants or needs help, then he should go and address that as part of his ban and it could be shortened if he sorted himself out to allow his reintegration back into the game.

What if a player had a drug addiction to PEDs? Should they not get a proper ban because it's an addiction and they need to be helped and shown respect?

 

[Bale Bale Bale]

Because he knew the rules and he broke the rules, that should have proper consequences. Addiction or not, he should get a fairly lengthy ban. If he wants or needs help, then he should go and address that as part of his ban and it could be shortened if he sorted himself out to allow his reintegration back into the game.

What if a player had a drug addiction to PEDs? Should they not get a proper ban because it's an addiction and they need to be helped and shown respect?

PEDs are used to gain an unfair advantage so it's difficult to compare it gambling. A player struggling with alcohol wouldn't be banned for example, they would be offered help.

I think when football fans hear of a player betting on matches their minds immediately go to some Jamie Parker at Harchester Utd type scenario where he's chucking the ball in his own net to pay off some gangsters, when in reality it's just a bored footballer sticking on a few bets that have no bearing on anything. I get why the rule is in place, because it's easier to just blanket ban all football betting rather than having to deal with picking apart which of those are of the innocent variety and those that aren't but calling for a lifetime ban on something so innocuous just seems mad to me.

 

[Buckie]

Looks like he will have a lot of free time to gamble now.

 

[Oranges038]

PEDs are used to gain an unfair advantage so it's difficult to compare it gambling. A player struggling with alcohol wouldn't be banned for example, they would be offered help.

I think when football fans hear of a player betting on matches their minds immediately go to some Jamie Parker at Harchester Utd type scenario where he's chucking the ball in his own net to pay off some gangsters, when in reality it's just a bored footballer sticking on a few bets that have no bearing on anything. I get why the rule is in place, because it's easier to just blanket ban all football betting rather than having to deal with picking apart which of those are of the innocent variety and those that aren't but calling for a lifetime ban on something so innocuous just seems mad to me.

Drinking isn't against the rules, betting on matches and betting on your teams games is. As he reportedly admitted. We don't know the nature of those bets, what he bet on or whether or not he was gaining. But that's why I think he should get a longer ban.

I don't necessarily agree with the blanket ban on footballers betting on games. In horse racing the trainers aren't allowed to bet on their own horses, but can bet on other horses and races. They are all in cahoots, I was told by a guy involved with horse training the November before Cheltenham a few years ago that certain horses were nailed on to win races. He had all the bets placed across multiple bookies on his phone, I checked later and each of them won their races. One of the horses was called Presenting Percy, I don't recall the others.

I think they maybe could be allowed to gamble on games outside their own international countries and leagues, but it could be limited to final results only. So an English player, playing in Spain can't bet on games in England or Spain. But could bet on the result of games in Italy or France or even China where ever. Maybe that is one way to do it.

 

[whitbyviking]

For what? He didn't commit a crime. So he bet on some football matches, big deal. Unless he was found to be spot betting(like in Paqueta's case, allegedly) or manipulating games negatively against his own team then what is the problem really? It also shows no respect to gambling addiction, if that is indeed applicable to Tonali. He should be helped, not banned.

He could bet on anything in the world except football. If he was addicted then it’s a very specific addiction to just be football. Also seems he was addicted not just specifically to football, but also football via a specific illegal app.

 

[Alex99]

Howe saying Tonali should be available this weekend?

Newcastle expecting to pay their way out of this ban or something?

 

[Oranges038]

Howe saying Tonali should be available this weekend?

Newcastle expecting to pay their way out of this ban or something?

He said it hasn't been imposed yet. So, he's technically free to play.

 

[ThierryHenry14]

Bet on his own team to win though.

Are there any ethical issue if he just keeps betting on his own team to win? What if he uses the money he won for charity purpose?

 

[Donut]

Footballers will have inside info into other teams… he’ll know whether opposing team’s best player has a hangover or is carrying a small injury for example… 10 months is extremely lenient, lucky lucky boy.

 

[adexkola]

Howe saying Tonali should be available this weekend?

Newcastle expecting to pay their way out of this ban or something?

FIFA have confirmed the ban is applicable worldwide and is in effect.

 

[adexkola]

I think it's incredibly unfair for football to be so hard on players gambling, considering how football has embraced and embedded gambling advertising.

There's just a moral inconsistency there.

And I'd be all for legalized gambling being banned from sports.

 

[Alex99]

I think it's incredibly unfair for football to be so hard on players gambling, considering how football has embraced and embedded gambling advertising.

There's just a moral inconsistency there.

And I'd be all for legalized gambling being banned from sports.

I don't disagree that gambling is far too pervasive in football in terms of advertising, but as far as I'm aware, there are no rules stopping players from gambling on literally anything else. I'm fully behind banning bookies from being able to advertise during or around football matches, including blanket bans on shirt sponsorship and pitch-side hoardings.

The fact that some players go as far as betting on matches that they are actively involved in is ridiculous, and points far more to greed than any supposed "addiction", in my view.

 

[whitbyviking]

I think it's incredibly unfair for football to be so hard on players gambling, considering how football has embraced and embedded gambling advertising.

There's just a moral inconsistency there.

And I'd be all for legalized gambling being banned from sports.

There is a massive conflict of interest and too much potential for insider information. I do agree that football should keep betting companies well away from stadia, kits etc though.

 

[FootyGirl88]

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[Raw]

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Done it again! Milan have done very well to get rid of him.

 

[AngeloHenriquez]

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Done it again! Milan have done very well to get rid of him.

Why is it "Again?" the date period is the same for the previous charge isn't it?

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Why is it "Again?" the date period is the same for the previous charge isn't it?

Were those a carry over from when he played in Italy?

 

[Raw]

Why is it "Again?" the date period is the same for the previous charge isn't it?

This charge related to bets placed on 12 August when he moved to Newcastle. The ban he's currently serving is from when he was in Italy.

 

[Alex99]

Why is it "Again?" the date period is the same for the previous charge isn't it?

The ban was for betting offences while he was still playing in Italy, and those dates are after he'd left and joined Newcastle.

 

[hobbers]

It's not really 'again', it's just 'more'.

 

[Raw]

It's not really 'again', it's just 'more'.

Yeah what probably happened was that he continued doing what he did in Italy after joining Newcastle and before the initial charges surfaced.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

The ban was for betting offences while he was still playing in Italy, and those dates are after he'd left and joined Newcastle.

Lad has a bit of a problem. The whole games is surrounded by betting companies. You only have to listen to Talksport and it is constant going over to someone from one betting firm or another.

 

[hobbers]

Yeah what probably happened was that he continued doing what he did in Italy after joining Newcastle and before the initial charges surfaced.

Though he'll probably get it in the neck again since he presumably never declared these bets while being investigated for the Italian bets.

 

[AngeloHenriquez]

Were those a carry over from when he played in Italy?

This charge related to bets placed on 12 August when he moved to Newcastle. The ban he's currently serving is from when he was in Italy.

The ban was for betting offences while he was still playing in Italy, and those dates are after he'd left and joined Newcastle.

That's ridiculous, surely Newcastle are able to suspend him without pay as surely this brings the club in disripute or something in the contract they can use as this is ridiculous for them if true.

 

[Adisa]

Obviously has a problem.

 

[Rnd898]

Yikes, that sounds bad for Tonali. Could easily end up missing most of next season too if he's hit with another ban.

 

[Infestissumam]

Football, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB ... you name it. All of those sports and leagues have been taken over by that sports betting crap, and then they wonder when players engage in it themselves. Oh the hypocrisy.

Not going to defend Tonali here, guy obviously has a problem and/or is daft as feck. But the leagues have created these problems themselves.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Imagine if he has signed for them and doesn't kick a ball for 18 months because of betting offences. Not only does he have a serious problem, Newcastle must be furious at spending that money on him for him to be doing nothing.

 

[Adz_99]

Its refreshing to see another club getting screwed over by their big money signing for a change.

Honestly I'm amazed he's not at United with the luck we have.