ROME (AP) — Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali was banned for 10 months by the Italian soccer federation on Thursday for betting on teams he played for — ruling him out of the rest of the Premier League season as well as competing for Italy at next year's European Championship.
The 23-year-old Tonali, who became the second player suspended in the widening case, agreed to a plea bargain with the federation that included therapy for a gambling addiction.
Tonali’s agent, Giuseppe Riso, recently acknowledged that his client has a gambling problem and that Tonali told prosecutors he bet on AC Milan and Brescia when he played for those clubs.
The federation acted following an investigation by Turin prosecutors into soccer players using illegal websites to bet on games.
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