As footballers can have a direct result on specific games and are privy to insider news regarding football news, they are not allowed to bet on games or rumours of any kind. However, many footballers worldwide have faced fines and bans for breaching betting rules. Whether it be a single bet placed, information given to a friend or family, or betting on multiple game results, breaching the betting rules is usually followed by a ban from football for a specific period of time, along with a fine. The fine and ban depend on the charges you are found guilty of. Below, we speak about some of the most prominent footballers who have faced a ban due to breaching betting rules in recent times.
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1. Sandro Tonali (banned in 2023)
Sandro Tonali recently joined Premier League side Newcastle from AC Milan. Newcastle signed the midfielder for £55 million in the summer transfer window. This transfer is a part of Newcastle’s revamp of the club since their takeover. Sandro Tonali has a lot of experience playing big games, and his expertise was helping the club, especially in the Champions League. Now, however, the Italian midfielder has received a ten-month ban from football due to breaching betting rules. Sandro Tonali admitted to betting on AC Milan to win games.
He came out with his gambling problem publicly and has been very cooperative while being under investigation. Tonali’s cooperation has helped reduce his ban from football from a possible 3-year ban to a 10-month ban. This means that Sandro Tonali will miss the remainder of the season with Newcastle and will also be unable to represent Italy at the 2024 EUROS. Tonali will be allowed to train with Newcastle and appear in friendlies for them but will not be allowed to represent them in Domestic and European outings till August 2024.
2. Ivan Toney (banned in 2023)
Towards the end of last season, Brentford striker Ivan Toney was handed an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules. Ivan Toney was arguably at the peak of his career when he received this ban. He was in fantastic form for Brentford. He got called up for England and made his debut. But all of this came crashing down in May 2023. Ivan Toney, who admitted to 232 breaches committed between February 2017 and January 2021, received an eight-month ban from football.
This means that Ivan Toney will be banned from having any involvement in the matches till 16th January 2024. The striker has also been fined £50,000 for breaching the betting rules. Brentford fans are awaiting Toney’s return to football in the second half of the season. They hope he can put all this behind him and regain his form for the club again.
3. Nicolo Fagioli (banned in 2023)
Nicolo Fagioli is an Italian midfielder who plays for Serie A side Juventus. Fagioli made his debut for Juventus in 2021. Fagioli then went on loan to Cremonese during the 2021-22 season. He helped Cremonese get promoted to the Serie A before returning to Juventus. He made six appearances for Juventus this season and registered one assist before getting banned.
Fagioli was handed a 12-month ban, of which five months were suspended. He was also fined €12,500 and agreed to a treatment program for his gambling problems. The FIGC said that Fagioli broke the rules by placing bets on football events organized by them and events organized by UEFA and FIFA. Fagioli’s punishment will see him get a seven-month ban and also speak about his experiences in at least ten sessions with amateur sporting organizations and with groups helping gambling addicts.
4. Daniel Sturridge (banned in 2020)
England international Daniel Sturridge received a four-month worldwide ban for breaching betting rules. A fine of £150,000 also accompanied the four-month ban. Daniel Sturridge was found guilty of leaking confidential information to his brother regarding a possible move to Spanish club Sevilla in 2018. Sturridge did not place a bet himself, but FA prohibits players from sharing insider information that could be used by the better.
The move to Sevilla did not happen, but Sturridge was found guilty of instructing his brother to place a bet on a possible move to Sevilla. Sturridge has played for various Premier League teams like Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City, but he played for Turkish side Trabzonspor when he received the ban. Sturridge was found guilty and banned in 2020, and in retaliation to his ban, Trabzonspor terminated his contract.
5. Kieran Trippier (banned in 2020)
Kieran Trippier left Premier League club Tottenham Hotspurs in 2019. The defender moved to Atletico Madrid, but his move to the Spanish side was surrounded by controversy. The FA investigated Trippier after news surfaced that the English defender had revealed to his friends on a WhatsApp group that he would be moving to Madrid. One of his friends used this information to make a huge bet on this potential transfer.
Even though Trippier maintained that he did not do anything wrong and that he did not place any bets himself or make profits from bets made by others, he was found guilty of breaching the betting rules in December 2020. Trippier was handed a 10-week ban from football and was fined €70,000. Trippier has since moved on from this debacle. He transferred from Atletico Madrid to Newcastle United in 2022. He now captains Newcastle United and has become one of their key players.
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