Police interrogate Italian players about betting – 10/13/2023 – Sport

Police officers were at the Italian team’s concentration, in the city of Coverciano, on Thursday (12). They questioned two players as part of an investigation into illegal sports betting that threatens to trigger a new crisis in “calcio”.

When agreeing to end his sabbatical in August to take over the Azzurri in place of Roberto Mancini, coach Luciano Spalletti probably imagined several scenarios, but in none of them would he see himself in the current situation.

Spalletti gave Italy a new look after his first two games in charge of the team, which is second in Group C of the Euro 2024 qualifiers with seven points, but this new case outside the field casts a shadow over the progress made. in the field.

The atmosphere within the Italian team is far from ideal in preparation for the duel against England, next Tuesday (17).

Late Thursday afternoon, right after the team’s training, several police officers showed up at the CT in Coverciano, near Florence.

Sent by the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office, investigators notified midfielder Sandro Tonali, 24, and striker Nicolo Zaniolo, 23, in a case involving alleged illegal sports betting.

Accompanied by Gianluigi Buffon, the new head of the Italian delegation, the two players were taken to a room at the training center, where they were interrogated for two hours.

Tonali and Zaniolo are suspected of having used clandestine sports betting platforms, something prohibited by article 24 of the Italian Football Federation’s (FIGC) code of sports justice. One of them would even have bet on a match for his team in which he was on the bench.

Their cell phones and a tablet were confiscated. After the statement was taken, Tonali, currently a Newcastle player, and Zaniolo, from Aston Villa, left the concentration.

“Both players are not in a position to face their commitments in the coming days,” the FIGC wrote in a statement.

Still impacted by the situation, the other athletes continued their preparation for the game against Malta, on Saturday (14), in Bari, and for the game against England, three days later, at Wembley.

“The night was difficult,” Spalletti acknowledged in an interview with Sky Sport. “Everyone admires these two players. Justice must do its job,” he added.

The case became public on Wednesday (11), when the FIGC announced that it had opened an investigation in August against Nicolo Fagioli, Juventus’ great promise, aged 21.

Fagioli is also suspected of having placed bets on clandestine platforms, which could earn him a three-year suspension and a fine of 25,000 euros (R$132,000).

His lawyers said the player himself presented himself to authorities, demonstrating “concern for maximum transparency and cooperation with sport and common justice.”

But the truth is that his name had been circulating for several days on social media since the revelations by the controversial Fabrizio Corona.

The former “king of paparazzi”, who spent ten years in prison for extortion, especially against former French player David Trézéguet, spread information about the alleged addiction of some football players to sports betting.

“Fagioli is not the only one,” Corona warned, pointing out other Serie A players, including one from Roma.

In a country that is repeatedly shaken by scandals, concern about these revelations reached the Minister of Sports, Andrea Abodi.

“Gaming addiction is not a football problem, it is a social pathology,” said Abodi.