Paul Merson has hit out at the ban handed to Sandro Tonali, believing there is “no respect” or understanding of footballers suffering with gambling addiction.
Just months after sealing a big-money move from AC Milan, Tonali was banned from all competitive football for 10 months after breaching betting rules, keeping him out until the end of August.
Speaking on the Sacked in the Morning podcast, Merson feels this addiction is “ravaging football” and shows a total lack of respect when betting sites are plastered all over football shirts. He believes the likes of Tonali need help, not lengthy bans that leaves them sidelined.
“People have no respect for the gambling addiction,” Merson said. “We’ve seen that with the bans of Sandro Tonali at Newcastle and Ivan Toney at Brentford.
“To give people 10-month bans for an addiction that is ravaging football, with sponsorships all over the shirts… They needed help and I don’t think ‘help’ is giving them 10-month bans.
“We underestimate this addiction. We need to show it some respect and not, ‘oh, show a bit of willpower’. I would say to the people who make these rules up and ban people, ‘next time you get diarrhoea, try and stop that with willpower’.”
Merson then discussed his own battles, describing it as a “hidden addiction” that is more prevalent in football than some realise.
“It’s big in football, it’s a hidden addiction because it’s a hard one for managers to get hold of. It’s easy to hide. If a player comes in who’s been out drinking ’til four o’clock in the morning, you know. But if they drop 200 grand at a casino or betting, you never know until it’s too late.
“Talking to Tony [Adams] about Sporting Chance [rehabilitation clinic], it’s gone from 70-30 in terms of drinking over gambling to the other way round – it’s 70% gambling and 30% drinking. That tells you it’s a massive thing.
“With gambling, clubs think, ‘well, it’s not harming them really – it’s not going to affect their game’. But it will affect their game more than drink.
“I used to think I was a bad person who was trying to be a good person but I wasn’t, I was an ill person who needed to get well.”
