Newcastle United Midfielder, Sandro Tonali, Undergoes Therapy Due To Gambling Addiction

JAKARTA - The Italian Newcastle United midfielder, Sandro Tonali, is reportedly undergoing therapy to overcome gambling addiction. Italian authorities are currently investigating allegations of illegal bets involving the player.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced last week that Tonali and Aston Villa's Nicolo Zaniolo had left the Italian national team and will return to their respective clubs due to ongoing investigations.

This decision was taken "to protect them," in which both players were deemed "not in the necessary conditions" to represent their country in Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta, which Italy finally won 4-0 on Saturday, October 14, and the match against England on Tuesday, October 17.

According to reports from Il Corriere della Sera, Tonali and Zaniolo were interrogated by police in Coverciano on Friday, October 13 and Tonali returned to their homes in Milan that day where he was said to be disappointed with his family after a sleepless night in the national team camp.

The report adds that Tonali feels "scary" and realizes that he has broken the rules, and should not be "tempted by certain hobbies."

Tonali has reportedly received advice from his agent to undergo therapy to overcome his addiction to gambling.

The 23-year-old is also believed to have agreed with FIGC's request to meet young players and share experiences and explain why they shouldn't have followed the same path.

Newcastle is said to have sent a private jet to pick up Tonali from Milan on Saturday, where manager Eddie Howe and club staff are ready to give full support to the midfielder.

Tonali joined Newcastle this summer from Milan for a reported fee of 55 million pounds (Rp1.05 trillion), and he seamlessly played in Howe's midfield. He even, featured in 10 games in all competitions, including seven Premier League games.

The Italian international with 15 caps scored in his Premier League debut when Newcastle beat Aston Villa 5-1 last August. He also started in a recent win against Manchester City in the EFL Cup and fought Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League group stage.

If Tonali and Zaniolo are found guilty of violating betting rules, both can be banned from playing football for three years according to regulations in Italy.

An investigation involving Tonali and Zaniolo comes at a time when Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli is facing a similar investigation by Italian authorities over illegal gambling activities and may also face similar penalties.

It remains to be seen whether Tonali will engage in Newcastle's next Premier League match against Crystal Palace at home on Saturday, October 21.