Juventus professional banned after betting scandal

The current betting scandal in Italian football has its first legal consequences. National player Nicolò Fagioli from Juventus Turin will be banned for seven months after an agreement with prosecutors at the sports court. The Italian football association FIGC announced this on Tuesday. Rome. The relatively short suspension is twelve months in total, but the 22-year-old midfielder can serve five of them with a number of other commitments. This includes Fagioli undergoing therapy for his gambling addiction for six months. There is also a fine of 12,500 euros.

Fagioli, who once played for the Squadra Azzurra, has so far been considered a central figure in the scandal. The young Juve star is said to have gambled away more than a million euros in illegal sports betting on online platforms. In the past few days he had already cooperated with the investigators – with the aim of avoiding a ban lasting several years. With the current agreement he has achieved that. The verdict against Fagioli was announced on Tuesday a few hours before the important European Championship qualifier in England.

Two other young stars of the national team are also involved in the scandal, but they had to leave the team: Sandro Tonali (23) from Newcastle United and Nicolò Zaniolo (24) from Aston Villa. According to a report in the daily newspaper La Repubblica, Tonali is seeking a similar agreement with investigators.

Gambling is generally allowed in Italy, but not on illegal online platforms. Players are also not allowed to bet on sports in which they are active. The former celebrity photographer Francesco Corona, who made the affair public, has announced that he will name more names of footballers involved.