Juventus star Nicolo Fagioli (pictured) received a seven-month ban for betting offences. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
The ongoing betting scandal involving several Italian footballers has piqued the interest of fans. Now, Niccolò Fagioli is the first of these stars to receive a sentence for his gambling offences. The Italian Football Federation suspended him for seven months on Tuesday and imposed a fine of 12,500 euros ($13,200).
He cooperated with the authorities to reduce his sentence
The 22-year-old midfielder’s sentence could have been worse had it not been for the plea deal he struck with officials. He cooperated with the authorities to reduce his sentence, in addition to visiting a therapist to deal with his gambling problem.
Fagioli has played in six Serie A matches for Juventus this season so far. He also participated for the first time with the Italian national team last November.
The Juventus star is not the only player convicted. Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo were expelled from the Italian training camp last week due to a gambling investigation. Tonali became the most expensive player in Italy when he signed with Newcastle United last July, while Zaniolo is playing on loan at Aston Villa.
It is assumed that both players are cooperating with authorities in the investigation. Following in Zaniolo’s footsteps, Tonali is expected to meet with prosecutor Giuseppe Chain soon. As part of his confession, Fagioli claimed that Tonali recommended to him a betting app for unregulated blackjack games.
