Luciano Spalletti has said that Nicolo Zaniolo and Sandro Tonali were left feeling ‘destroyed’ after police turned up to question the pair at Coverciano last week.
The international duo are currently under formal investigation for alleged cases of illegal betting in a scandal that has swept over Italian football over the course of the last week.
After Thursday’s incident at the national team training base, Zaniolo and Tonali left the squad, with the latter resuming training with Newcastle on Monday morning.
During his pre-match press conference ahead of Italy’s Euro 2024 qualifier against England on Tuesday evening, Spalletti confirmed that the ordeal had been difficult for everybody in the camp.
“Yes, it was traumatic for the team, we found ourselves having the authorities practically inside the changing room,” he told the media in the press room at Wembley on Monday evening, reported by TMW.
“We were a bit upset, surprised. But we had a whole day from when we said goodbye to them and many of us went to hug them before they returned to their clubs, to their homes,” he continued.
“The guys involved were destroyed. When a group stays together and experiences the matches as a national team, important relationships are always created.
“I think this is a problem that can happen among young people, we have committed ourselves to supporting them and we will continue to do so.”
It is expected that Zaniolo and Tonali will be summoned by the Turin Prosecutor’s office at the nearest possible opportunity.
Click here to follow the latest updates from Italy’s betting scandal.
let them play the games first if this was any other country they would play only in italy and still no call for balotelli give him a chance