Newcastle United’s Italian international midfielder Sandro Tonali has suspended for 10 months in betting scandal, the Italian football federation said on Thursday.
Before he signed a 56-million-pound (64-million-euro) deal to join Newcastle controlled by Saudi Arabia in July, the 23-year-old was discovered to have wagered on matches featuring his previous club, AC Milan. This made him the most expensive Italian player in history.
Tonali will miss the remainder of the Premier League season due to the punishment, as well as the European Championship in the summer if holders Italy advance.
He is the second football player from Italy to get a suspension due to a betting controversy that surfaced during the most recent international break.
Nicolo Fagioli of Juventus was handed a seven-month suspension earlier this month by the FIGC’s disciplinary panel.