Sandro Tonali of Newcastle was given a two-month suspended sentence for fifty breaches of the Football Association's betting regulations.

Tonali left AC Milan for Newcastle in the summer in a £55 million deal. He is currently prohibited from playing professional football until August 2024 due to his history of betting on Italian football games. 

After joining the Magpies, he was charged with 50 more violations of FA Rule E8 for placing bets on football events between August 12, 2023, and October 12, 2023.

The two-month suspension is suspended until the conclusion of the 2024–2025 season, which means that if he violates the rules again, he will be barred from all football-related activities for that duration. If, however, he stays out of trouble, he can return on August 27. In addition, the FA fined him £20,000 and issued a warning about his future behavior.

What is Newcastle saying?

Newcastle released the following statement: "The level of assistance Sandro has provided by self-referring and fully cooperating with a subsequent investigation is extraordinary and unprecedented, as acknowledged by the FA in the written reasons of the independent Regulatory Commission." 

"Sandro fully acknowledged his involvement in betting, and he did so when there was insufficient evidence to pursue disciplinary action. 

"Sandro is continuing to follow a therapeutic plan and educational programme with the club's full support and will continue to train with his teammates."

Why is Tonali facing punishment once more?

Tonali acknowledged in the written explanations released by the FA that he had wagered between forty and fifty times on football between August and October of last year, with four of those wagers being on Newcastle to win. 

The 23-year-old participated in four of the five games and was an unutilized substitute in the fifth. He acknowledged that he was aware that it is unlawful to wager on football. But according to the FA, Tonali's betting did not compromise the integrity of those matches. 

"Whilst [Tonali] did place bets on his own team, all of these bets were for his team (NUFC) to win the match in question," the written reasons said. In this sense, [Tonali's] betting behavior is consistent.

"Whilst [Tonali] did place bets on his own team, all of these bets were for his team (NUFC) to win the match in question," the written reasons said. In this sense, [Tonali's] betting behavior is consistent. 

"There has been no damage to integrity or perception of the integrity of the match in question or the game as a whole." 

Although Tonali claimed he couldn't recall the precise amount he put down for each wager, he maintained it would not exceed €10,000 (£8,560). While he denied wagering on the Champions League or international football, he acknowledged that he would have placed bets on other Premier League games.