Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali has unintentionally become a key figure in the latest phase of the continuous probe from Italy to illegal online gambling, but Mail Sport understands that he is not confronted with any further punishment.
Reports from Corriere della Sera in Italy claim that there are still 12 players, including various current and former Serie A stars, mentioned in a new study by the Milan Officer of Justice -with researchers who are said to have been led to them by analysis of the phone from Tonali.
The probe investigates the alleged gambling activity between December 2021 and October 2023, but it is crucial that there is no suggestion at this stage that the people involved gambled on football matches.
Tonali and colleague Italy International Nicolo Fagioli were both forbidden in 2024 for gambling violations, including gambling on football. The prohibition of midfielder Tonali ended at the end of August and has since made 45 senior performances for Newcastle and Italy.
But this latest development seems to concentrate on the use of illegal platforms for online poker and casino games.
Sources in Italy say that the names of the newest suspects – including Juventus Duo Weston McKennie and Mattia Perin, Roma's Leandro Paredes, Nicolo Zaniolo from Fiorentina and the analysis of their mobile devices from Milan and the analysis of their mobile devices.
Tonali, as understood, is not being investigated again. Newcastle is not supposed to worry that the midfielder is hit with further sanctions.
The analysis of the Italian authorities of the telephone of Tonali is supposed to have led researchers to the other players who are now being examined, so that the Magpies makes the star an ignorant link in the growing research, instead of a fresh target itself.
Allegedly, others investigated Atalanta's Raoul Bellanova, Torino's Samual Ricci, Matteo Cancellieri from Parma, former Cruemese striker Cristian Buonaiuto, Leeds United Full-Back Junior Firpo and Tennis player Matteo Gigante.
So far there has been no indication of misconduct with regard to football betting among this new group of individuals. If confirmed, the consequences would probably be minimal: the criminal fine for the use of unauthorized gambling platforms is a fine of only € 250.
However, the Italian football federation could still choose to open a new sports research.