Milan denies that they knew about Tonali's gambling addiction

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has found that 23-year-old Italian national team player Sandro Tonali violated gambling rules. As a result, he has received a ten-month ban from any football-related activity and an additional eight months of rehabilitation through therapy. FIFA has officially approved this decision, making it applicable globally.

Tonali transferred to Newcastle from Milan in the summer for £55 million. Speculation had arisen from various circles that the "Rossoneri" were aware of his gambling addiction. However, Newcastle's sporting director, Dan Ashworth, did not rule out this possibility but stated that it's "really hard" to be certain.

"It's very hard for me to work out what other clubs know or don't know," said Ashworth. "All we can do is look at our own due diligence and our own process. It's really hard for me to answer that question; I just don't know."

This prompted Milan to issue an official statement in response to Ashworth's remarks.

"We first became aware of Tonali's addiction through media reports, and what we know is only what we have read. We have no further information."

The Football Association has reportedly launched a separate investigation to determine if Tonali continued to engage in gambling in England, as his agent, Giuseppe Riso, acknowledged that the player had struggled with a gambling addiction.

Tonali will be unavailable to Newcastle until the end of August 2024, and the club is considering a replacement for the midfielder in the winter transfer window.