Friends helped Fiorentina's Nicolo Fagioli pay off €0.5 million gambling debt
Ileana Sanchez
Dailysports's expert
Fiorentina footballer Nicolo Fagioli, who was previously suspended for betting on sports, managed to pay off his gambling debts thanks to the help of friends, reports La Gazzetta dello Sport.
According to the publication, his debt amounted to €578,000. To help Fagioli settle it, 31 people from the footballer's circle donated at least €3,500 each. Among those who assisted the Italian were his teammates from youth and senior teams (including Cremonese), as well as from the Italy under-21 national team.
A total of €121,000 was paid by three individuals: Federico Gatti, Radu Dragusin, and Caleb Okoli, while approximately €73,000 was donated by Francesco Lucani.
It is worth recalling that Fagioli was banned from football for 7 months in October 2023. At that time, the Italian was still playing for Juventus. Nicolo admitted to placing bets on matches on illegal sites. He also began treatment for gambling addiction.
Currently, the footballer plays for Fiorentina, where he has already appeared in 34 matches this season, scoring 1 goal and providing 3 assists. Fiorentina is currently in 8th place in the league standings and is fighting for a spot in European competitions.
