A new illegal betting scandal has shaken calcium again. A case that splashes Serie A footballers and that promises to last longer after learning the confessions of Nicoló Fagioli, 22-year-old fiancee who plays for Juventus. In this sense, the police notified the investigation into two footballers of the national team, Sandro Tonali and Nicoló Zaniolo, questioned in Coverciano, the seat of the Nazionale's concentration. The Italian Federation decided to let the players go, probable starters for coach Luciano Spalletti, because they did not consider them in the best conditions to face the commitments of these days against Malta and England. This could be just the beginning.
La Repubblica revealed yesterday that the names that have come to light so far are only the first of a dozen Serie A footballers who "regularly bet" on a network of illegal platforms. While the rumors of the website Dillinger News (which advanced the Fagioli case) spoke of a Zaniolo who bet even while sitting on the bench of an Italian Cup match, the player, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, explained to law enforcement who played blackjack on a platform he didn't know was illegal, never betting on football games.
The Prosecutor's Office in Turin discovered the players involved while investigating a network of organized crime, gambling, illegal platforms and debts. From a sporting point of view, the main risk for players, according to article 24 of the Code of Sports Justice, is to have "executed or accepted bets, directly or indirectly, related to the results of matches in Italy, FIFA and the UEFA".
In this case, the penalty can reach three years plus a fine of 25,000 euros. Fagioli turned himself in to the Federal Prosecutor's Office and his cooperation will obviously influence the investigation and likely trial. According to the same sources, the clubs of the players involved, for now, are not in danger, as long as it is not discovered that they knew what their players were doing and did not report them to the Prosecutor's Office.
If it can be proven that there was an omission to report, the penalties can be very harsh for the managers involved: at least six months of disqualification, plus a fine. The investigation will continue in the coming days. The last thing that has been known is that the police have confiscated Zaniolo and Tonali's mobile phones and tablets for analysis.
Meanwhile, Dillinger News revealed that there is a fourth player involved in the scandal and points to the name of Zalewski, a Polish footballer from Roma who is coached by Mourinho.
Spalletti spoke about the case yesterday: "We will try to help the players defend themselves. Let justice take its course. However, if irregular things have been done, it is good that they have to pay", said the tax assessor.
