SANDRO TONALI and Nicolo Zaniolo have been booted out of Italy’s squad over an alleged betting scandal.
And the Premier League pair face worldwide bans of up to three years if found guilty of gambling on matches.
Cops yesterday quizzed Newcastle midfielder Tonali, 23, and Aston Villa forward Zaniolo, 24, at the squad’s base near Florence.
They will miss Tuesday’s Euro 2024 qualifier with England at Wembley after being accused of placing bets in breach of Italian FA rules.
Zaniolo is alleged to have placed bets on matches involving his former club Roma, where he played under Jose Mourinho before joining Galatasaray in February.
A third player, Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli, is under investigation but he is not a member of the Italy squad.
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The Italian FA confirmed the duo had been sent home as a probe was launched into the alleged betting rule breaches.
The statement read: “The Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office has conducted investigations into players, Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo, who are currently with the national team.
“Considering the two players are not in the necessary condition to face the matches scheduled for the next few days, the Federation has decided to allow them to return to their clubs.”
Newcastle signed Tonali from AC Milan in a £55million deal in July.
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Meanwhile, Zaniolo joined Villa on loan from Galatasaray a month later.
Italian regulations are far stricter than the FA’s.
A potential three-year ban is in the offing if they are found to be guilty.
Such a suspension would be unlikely but a significant ban is expected if the allegations are upheld.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
