What precedent has the FA set over possible punishments?published at 16:06 28 March
So what further punishment could Sandro Tonali expect, if charges for breaching the Football Association betting rules are proven?
The FA’s punishment of England striker Ivan Toney could provide a yardstick.
Toney, 28, returned in January after an eight-month ban from football. The Brentford player pleaded guilty to all 232 charges levelled against him by the FA.
The FA’s regulatory commission reduced his ban from an initial 11 months following mitigation after a psychiatry expert diagnosed Toney with a gambling addiction.
Of course all cases are unique and Tonali’s own situation will be assessed on its merits.
The 23-year-old midfielder’s charges by the English FA relate to 50 bets allegedly made on matches between a two-month period – from 12 August to 12 October.
This period was before charges were brought against the Italy midfielder by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) last year.
Tonali, 23, is currently serving a 10-month ban for breaking FIGC betting rules, which started on 28 October, and is also participating in “a therapeutic plan” to help “recovery from gambling addiction”.
