Sandro Tonali will NOT face an extension of his current ban, as confirmed in a club statement from Newcastle United this afternoon.
The Italian has been handed a suspended two-month ban by the FA, along with a £20,000 fine. This means he will return, as expected, on August 27th – two games into the 2024/25 season – provided there are no further breaches of betting rules.
Great news and good to see common sense has prevailed, as an extended ban for the midfielder would’ve been harsh given the punishment he’s already served.
A club statement says: ‘Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali has been given a suspended two-month ban from competitive football by an independent Regulatory Commission after self- declaring breaches of FA Betting Rules. He has also been fined £20,000 and warned by the FA as to his future conduct.
‘The banning period is fully suspended for the duration of the 2024/25 season, meaning he will be available to return to competitive football upon the conclusion of an existing ten-month sanction imposed by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on 27 October 2023.
‘Provided that he does not commit any further breach of the FA Betting Rules during the suspension period, Sandro will not serve any part of the two-month sanction.
‘As acknowledged by the FA in the independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons, the level of assistance Sandro has provided by self-referring and fully cooperating with a subsequent investigation is extraordinary and unprecedented.
‘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.’
#NUFC midfielder Sandro Tonali has been given a suspended two-month ban from competitive football by an independent Regulatory Commission after self- declaring breaches of FA Betting Rules.
He has also been fined £20,000 and warned by the FA as to his future conduct.
The… pic.twitter.com/D3DprSAhBa
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) May 2, 2024
