Juventus star Nicolò Fagioli has officially been handed a seven-month ban from football for betting, accepting a plea bargain including therapy for gambling addiction and helping others to avoid a similar fate.
The 22-year-old took every possible step to mitigate his punishment, including handing himself in to the authorities when admitting he had a problem.
He collaborated fully with the prosecutor and provided evidence, but while he did bet on football matches, they never involved his own teams.
A statement was released by the FIGC this afternoon confirming the ban was originally going to be 12 months, but commuted by five to seven with certain provisos.
These are that Fagioli must attend treatment for gambling addiction for a minimum of six months.
He must also make at least 10 public appearances over the course of five months in which he explains his situation and helps others to either avoid falling into the trap of gambling or aid their recovery from gambling addiction.
Effectively, it is still ‘formally’ a 12-month ban, but five of those will be covered by the alternatives of treatment and public appearances.
He is banned from playing for seven months.
Fagioli faces a fine of €12,500 too for breaching Article 24 of the sporting justice code, which bans betting on football events organised by the FIGC, UEFA or FIFA.