Background
Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has been given a further two-month suspended ban by the Football Association (FA) for breaching betting rules per Fabrizio Romano. This adds to his existing 10-month ban imposed by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in October as reported by Sports Buddy.
The Ruling
The FA’s independent Regulatory Commission has handed Tonali a suspended two-month ban from competitive football, effective throughout the 2024/25 season. He has also been fined £20,000 and warned about his future conduct. The ban will only be served if he commits further betting breaches during the suspension period.
Club Statement
Newcastle United released a statement confirming the news, praising Tonali’s cooperation and commitment to seeking help: “Sandro made full admissions as to his betting activity, and did so in circumstances where there was no other evidence to support misconduct proceedings…
Sandro is continuing to follow a therapeutic plan and educational programme with the club’s full support and will continue to train with his teammates.”
Manager’s Support
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has spoken publicly about the importance of supporting Tonali during this time: “The most important part of this whole incident is Sandro and his welfare… It’s very easy for people to forget how young he is and the changes he’s had in his life, coming from Italy to England. That’s hard enough to deal with and now he has this situation.”
Sandro Tonali’s Situation
Sandro Tonali joined Newcastle for £55million from AC Milan in the summer and started five of the club’s opening nine Premier League games before being charged with betting breaches and suspended. His last match was in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund on October 25. He is set to return to action on October 27.
