Italian papers suggest Sandro Tonali will formally be banned for 18 months, but at least six of those will be covered by alternatives of treatment and public appearances, so the Newcastle midfielder won’t be allowed to play for ten or 12 months.
The FIGC Prosecutor is expected to offer a plea agreement to Tonali’s lawyers in the coming hours after the Newcastle midfielder assisted the relevant authorities in a betting investigation and sought help to treat his gambling addiction.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports UEFA and FIGC are in a hurry to determine the length of Tonali’s suspension given that Newcastle will play in the Champions League on Wednesday. According to the pink paper, Tonali will be banned for circa one year and fined more than €12,000.
Il Corriere dello Sport and Il Messaggero reveal more details about Tonali’s potential ban.
Tuesday’s printed edition of CorSport (page 14) predicts the 23-year-old will formally be suspended for 18 months. However, he will only spend one year on the sidelines with the remaining six months covered by alternatives of treatment and public appearances.
Il Messaggero predicts a similar outcome with a 10-month ban from football and from six to eight months of treatment.