Suspended Juventus midfielder Nicolò Fagioli has revealed he started playing out of loneliness. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Juventus midfielder Nicolò Fagioli received a seven-month ban from the Italian Football Association in October for betting violations. On Tuesday, the 23-year-old met with a group of students and psychologists in Turin to discuss some of his problems and revealed how he started gambling.
After hitting rock bottom, he finally sought help in May
The Piacenza native explained that he started gambling at the age of 16 and that it gradually developed into an illness. At the time, he was part of the Juventus youth team and was “looking for dopamine without knowing it.” His situation worsened and he finally sought help in May after hitting rock bottom.
Looking back at the reasons why he started betting, Fagioli speculates that he may have been feeling lonely because he was far from home. The fact that he had to stay away from football during his suspension made recovery more difficult.
He is now looking forward to getting back on the pitch and hopes to feature in his team’s final Serie A game of the season. Fagioli’s dream is to take part in the European Championships in Germany with the Italian national team this summer. He played his only international match for the senior national team so far in November 2022.
