Juventus star Nicolò Fagioli (pictured) has received a seven-month ban for betting violations. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
An ongoing betting scandal involving several Italian football players is keeping fans in suspense. Now Nicolò Fagioli is the first of these stars to be convicted of his gambling violations. The Italian football association Federcalcio banned him for seven months on Tuesday and also imposed a fine of 12,500 euros.
cooperated with authorities to reduce his sentence
The 22-year-old midfielder’s punishment could have been worse had he not reached an agreement with the officials. He has been cooperating with authorities to reduce his sentence and has also been seeing a therapist to address his gambling problem.
Fagioli has featured in six of Juventus’ Serie A games so far this season. He also made his debut for the Italian national team last November.
The Juventus star is not the only player to be accused. Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo were both sent home from training camp in Italy last week due to the gambling investigation. Tonali became Italy’s most expensive player when he moved to Newcastle United in July, while Zaniolo is on loan at Aston Villa.
Both players should cooperate with the authorities in the investigation. Tonali follows in Zaniolo’s footsteps and is expected to meet prosecutor Giuseppe Chine soon. As part of his confession, Fagioli claimed that Tonali recommended him a betting app for unregulated blackjack gambling.
