Juventus player Nicolo Fagioli has been handed a seven-month suspension by the Italian Football Federation (FAGC). The suspension comes after the player was found guilty of violating the country's betting rules.
The 22-year-old midfielder has also been slapped with a €12,500 fine. In addition to the fine, Fagioli is required to attend at least 10 public meetings at amateur sports associations. Here, he will be expected to speak on the harms of problem gambling.
The FAGC has made it clear that if these provisions are not met, the ban will be extended to 12 months.
The betting violations
Fagioli was taken into custody by Turin prosecutors last week over betting violations. These violations were discovered when illegal online gambling sites in Italy were cross-referenced, with Fagioli's name appearing in the investigation.
The ban will begin retroactively from the official communication received by prosecutors to the FAGC. This means that Fagioli could potentially make his return in late May, towards the latter stages of the season.
The FAGC has stated that it will monitor the player's compliance with the penalties. In case of violations, the federation "will adopt the measures within its competence, pursuant to the CGS".
An FAGC statement read:
“The Federal Prosecutor’s Office has reached an agreement (pursuant to article 126 CGS) with the footballer Nicolo Fagioli following which he will be sanctioned with a 12-month disqualification, five of which will be commuted to alternative prescriptions, and a fine of 12,500 euros, for the violation of article 24 of the CGS which prohibits the possibility of placing bets on football events organised by FIGC, UEFA and FIFA.
“Regarding alternative prescriptions, Fagioli will have to participate in a therapeutic plan lasting a minimum of six months and in a cycle of at least 10 public meetings, to be held within five months, at amateur sports associations, federal territorial centres, centres for recovery from gambling addiction, and in any case according to the indications and program proposed by the FIGC.”
Cooperation minimises ban
Fagioli’s ban has been minimised due to his cooperation with the investigation. This cooperation has helped the player avoid a maximum suspension of up to three years.
Marco Giordano, Fagioli’s agent, said:
“The only thing we can say is that our client already had problems when he signed for us. It was close to summer, the first thing we told him was to get treatment.
“There was no mismanagement, we advised him to self-report and treat himself. Nicolo is suffering from ludopathy, a problem that arose when we were not his agents.”
Reports suggest that Fagioli is part of a larger betting scandal in Serie A. This scandal allegedly involves around 40 players, including Premier League stars Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the strict regulations surrounding sports betting in Italy. It also underscores the importance of players adhering to these rules to maintain the integrity of the sport.
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