Paulo Di Canio slams ‘stupid’ Sandro Tonali and claims players ‘must be empty’ to bet on football with the Newcastle star set for suspension after ‘admitting to betting on AC Milan’ while at the club
- Paulo Di Canio blasted those suspected of betting in the Italian football scandal
- Sandro Tonali may face a year on the sidelines after reportedly admitting to bets
- Follow Mail Sport’s new Champions League WhatsApp channel for all the breaking news
Paulo Di Canio has labelled those wrapped up in the Italian football betting scandal ‘stupid’ for betting on the game.
Sandro Tonali is among those being investigated as part of the scandal and has reportedly admitted to betting on AC Milan games while with the Rossoneri.
The Newcastle midfielder’s lawyers will reportedly try to negotiate a plea bargain in Rome and he could face a year on the sidelines.
Di Canio, who won Serie A with AC Milan in 1996, vented about the situation on Italian television.
‘There are a million things they could do. [Bet on] cats, dogs, hamsters. I am not suggesting anything. Of course, it would be better not to gamble at all. Did you bet on football? You must be empty. This is stupidity. You must be stupid,” Di Canio told Sky Sport Italia, via Football Italia.
Paulo Di Canio said that the players accused of betting on football matches were ‘stupid’
Sandro Tonali is among those being investigated by the Italian authorities in the scandal
Your browser does not support iframes.
Tonali featured off the bench in Newcastle’s 4-0 rout of Crystal Palace over the weekend.
Eddie Howe made the 23-year-old walk ahead of his team-mates in their post-match lap of honour.
He said: ‘It sort of came to me when we were doing our walk that I wanted him to be at the front, to see the love closer up. So it’s a big thank you from me to our supporters. That reception at the end was incredible and it was emotional.
‘Sandro is going through an incredibly emotional time and the supporters reacted how I hoped they would. I could feel the love between him and them and that will do him the world of good, he’ll feel much better.
‘The hardest part is ahead, but it’s great for him to know he’s got the support of the senior management and the supporters, they’re the most important.’
La Gazzetta dello Sport wrote that Tonali ‘self-reported’ and was heard by the Italian Football federation (FIGC) Prosecutor as he seeks help to treat a gambling addiction.
Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagiolo received a seven-month ban for illegal betting having reached a plea bargain with prosecutors.
The midfielder was one of the first names to be linked with the Italian football betting scandal
Tonali’s lawyers will reportedly try to negotiate a plea bargain in Rome after he reportedly admitted to betting
Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo has also been quizzed over his involvement in the betting claims
Aston Villa loanee Nicolo Zaniolo is also being investigated and was made to leave Italy’s training camp alongside Tonali during the international break.
The rules on betting are strict in Italy with athletes banned from betting on their own sports.
Anyone found guilty of breaching them could be hit with worldwide suspensions of up to three years.
Newcastle face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday night and are top of their group after two games with four points.
IT’S ALL KICKING OFF!
It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.
It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.
Your browser does not support iframes.
Source: Read Full Article