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<\/p>\nSandro Tonali will not play for Newcastle United again this season after being handed a 10-month ban from football. The former AC Milan star will also partake in eight months of gambling rehab after admitting to placing bets on his own team while playing in Italy.<\/p>\n
Gabriele Gravina, president of the Italian FA (FIGC), revealed on Thursday that a plea agreement had been reached with Tonali’s camp regarding a 10-month ban. It means the 23-year-old will be out for the rest of the season, with the punishment lifted next August.<\/p>\n
Painfully for Tonali, he will also be ineligible to play at Euro 2024, providing Italy make it to the tournament. The betting breaches he admitted to carried a maximum three-year suspension, but the Newcastle man’s cooperation is believed to have limited the damage.<\/p>\n
“An agreement has already been reached between the Federal Prosecutor’s Office and Sandro Tonali, which occurred before the referral, therefore it must be endorsed by the undersigned, which I have already done,” Gravina explained.<\/p>\n
“A plea bargain is envisaged for 18 months of which eight months is activity recovery, some concerns therapeutic activity and at least 16 face-to-face meetings as testimony.<\/p>\n
“A plea bargain is foreseen, mitigating circumstances are foreseen, the boys collaborated beyond belief, so we continue to respect the rules we have set for ourselves.”<\/p>\n
Tonali’s agent, Giuseppe Riso, claims that the player is battling a gambling addiction. His Italy team-mate Nicolo Fagioli was also named as part of the probe, and the Juventus star has been slapped with a seven-month ban.<\/p>\n
The Magpies made Tonali their marquee summer signing this year, splashing out \u00a355million to lure him away from AC Milan. His absence will come as a crushing blow for manager Eddie Howe, who is chasing down a top-four finish for the second year in a row.<\/p>\n
Crucially, however, Tonali will still be allowed to train with his team-mates as normal. The Brescia academy graduate was given a warm reception on Wednesday night when he came off the bench in the 1-0 Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund.<\/p>\n
Reports indicate that the player could have \u00a311m in wages suspended, although Newcastle are yet to comment. Scott McTominay and Kalvin Phillips are believed to be among those lined up as possible replacements.<\/p>\n
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