Gabriele Gravina, the president of the Italian FA, called gambling addiction ‘a social plague’ amidst the growing Serie A betting scandal.
The scandal started after news broke that Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli was suspected of placing bets on illegal gambling platforms. He was questioned by investigators and admitted his involvement, handing over his mobile phone to police.
Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo were both then implicated in the scandal and were questioned by police at Coverciano, where they reportedly admitted to gambling on the illegal platforms but stated that they were playing poker and blackjack, not betting on football. Both withdrew from the Italy squad.
Speaking at the Trento Sports Festival via Calciomercato.com, Gravina discussed the ongoing Serie A betting scandal and his thoughts on gambling addiction.
“The betting scandal couldn’t have been foreseen. I believe that we responded to this situation with great sensitivity, coherence and with respect for the institutions, the players and the Azzurri shirt.
“Unfortunately, gambling addiction isn’t a football problem but a social plague that corrodes from the inside. Yesterday the authorities wanted to serve the notices of guarantee to Zaniolo and Tonali.”
Gossip columnist Fabrizio Corona claims that over 50 Serie A players are involved in the scandal, with the latest name revealed being Roma’s Nicola Zalewski.