NEWCASTLE boss Eddie Howe pleaded with the FA not to throw the book at “gambling addict” Sandro Tonali.
The £55million Italy midfielder risks a further ban after he was charged by the FA with 50 betting breaches earlier this season – including on Newcastle games.
Tonali, 23, was slapped with a 10-month suspension by Italian authorities in October for illegal betting while at former club AC Milan, which keeps him out of action until late August 2024.
His case will be heard by an independent commission after an FA probe alleges he continued gambling after last summer’s move to Tyneside.
The Magpies hope any further ban will run concurrently to the one he is already serving given he provided them with evidence last autumn at the start of the investigation.
And Howe urged the FA not to make “ill” Tonali suffer anymore.
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The St James’ Park boss said: “I certainly hope for Sandro that there are no further consequences.
“His illness didn’t stop when he moved from Italy to England. That illness was there and people should look at it that way, not ‘Let’s throw the book at him and punish him even further’, because that doesn’t get to the root of the problem.
“He has suffered during this period. He has sought help, he’s been very honest, he has admitted he has an issue, and the best thing for Sandro would be to resume his career having taken his punishment and learned a lot of lessons.”
Asked whether he feels let down by Tonali, Howe added: “I don’t. Sandro has an illness. If this was associated with another form of illness, there would be a lot more sympathy and understanding.
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“It did not stop when he came to England.
“It was only when everything that had happened – instantly he was very apologetic and sorry for what he had done – that he needed help. We have tried, along with Sandro’s representatives and his family, to get him the help that he needs to recover from this.”
Howe refused to answer whether he was concerned if it is found that Tonali gambled on Newcastle games earlier this season.
On whether he can trust the Azzurri international going forward, he said: “As I’ve said, it’s an illness. It’s something we need to help him with. I’ve got no issues trusting Sandro at all. He’s responded to what’s happened to him outstandingly well.”
Tonali joined Newcastle from AC Milan in July but was banned for 10 months by the Italian FA in October for betting on matches involving his former teams Brescia and Milan.
Sandro has an illness. If this was associated with another form of illness, there would be a lot more sympathy and understanding.
Eddie Howe
However, he has been able to train with Howe’s squad having made just 12 appearances for the Geordies, unlike Brentford striker Ivan Toney’s case.
Tonali’s agent said the Italian international is suffering from a gambling addiction, adding: “I hope that this experience saves his life and that of many others, that it helps those who fall into the same habit as him.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
