We’re back at it again. All too often. While Italian football has regularly been tainted by dark affairs throughout its history, from the “Totonero” of the 1980s to the “Calciopoli” scandal of 2006, Calcio could be facing a new earthquake. It all started on Wednesday, at least publicly, when the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced that it had opened an investigation in August against Nicolò Fagioli, a promising talent from Juventus who has also been called up to the Italian national team. The reason? The 21-year-old midfielder is suspected of using multiple profiles to place bets on illegal gambling platforms. But he is apparently just the tip of the iceberg. If the Italian international, who first contacted the federal prosecutor and whose lawyers assured that he approached the matter “in a responsible manner,” particularly “with a maximum level of transparency and cooperation with sports and ordinary justice,” dozens of other players, or maybe even more, could be involved. According to La Repubblica, this is what the investigators discovered while examining Fagioli’s phone, including “discussions” with some of his peers. To try to shed some light on the matter, here is what we currently know about this affair that is shaking the whole of Italian football.
What happened on Thursday at Coverciano? Before this sports betting affair took on such magnitude, the national team gathered earlier this week at Coverciano, the training center for the Italian national team located near Florence. With crucial games for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta (Saturday) and especially England (Tuesday) in sight. So far, nothing out of the ordinary. But on Thursday, around 7pm, everything changed. Civil investigators, mandated by the Turin prosecutor’s office, came to notify Sandro Tonali, 24, and Nicolò Zaniolo, 23, that they were under investigation for illegal sports betting. The two players were then accompanied by Gianluigi Buffon, the head of the Italian delegation, to a room where only authorized personnel could enter. Their cell phones and a tablet were seized immediately, followed by a two-hour interrogation. Shortly after, the FIGC announced in a statement that they were being sent home. “The two players are not in a position to fulfill their commitments in the coming days,” it said. According to Fabrizio Corona, the former king of paparazzi turned whistle-blower (we will come back to this), Zaniolo, who now plays for Aston Villa, even bet on a match involving his team when he was a substitute. The Italian press revealed that the two players justified themselves, with tears in their eyes, by saying that they only placed bets on games such as poker or blackjack.
What are the players accused of? First and foremost, it is important to note that the players involved in this affair are presumed innocent. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the investigation, which covers all kinds of online betting, not just on sports, was opened in 2022. Investigators have looked into illegal betting sites that do not have the authorized license to conduct such activities. Gambling is not prohibited in Italy, even for football players, but it must be done on legal sites and not involve betting on the sport being played, in this case, football, even if it is a different category. To put it simply, the three players could have placed bets, for example, on basketball or tennis, but on authorized platforms. Sandro Tonali, Nicolò Zaniolo, and Fagioli (the only confirmed names so far) are suspected of using illegal sports betting platforms, which is prohibited by article 24 of the FIGC’s sports justice code. It specifically mentions “the prohibition of placing or accepting bets on matches organized by the FIGC, UEFA, and FIFA.” For several months, investigators based in Turin have gathered a wealth of information and suspect a vast network of criminal activity that could be behind these illegal bets. “The doubt is that the mafia is behind all this… By seizing the players’ phones, investigators hope to find out who was placing the bets and who organized this large underground betting operation,” writes La Gazzetta dello Sport in its Friday edition.
What sports sanctions are expected? It depends. Players suspected of placing bets on illegal platforms face a suspension of at least three years and a fine of 25,000 euros. In addition to the Turin prosecutor’s office, the FIGC is conducting its own investigation to determine if article 24 has been violated. In this regard, Nicolò Fagioli has already been questioned. In the case of the collaborating player under investigation, such as Juventus midfielder, three possibilities are defined by articles 126 and 127: the first precedes the closing of the investigation and includes a 50% reduction in the sentence; the second is related to a subsequent agreement, between the referral and the first hearing, and can decrease the sanction by one-third; the third is a significant reduction in sentence in the event of providing useful information for the investigation by the players involved. For example, in 2011, the federal prosecutor had requested a suspension of “only” 14 months for Vittorio Micolucci, who played for Ascoli. Any potential sanctions will apply to international matches and competitions authorized by FIFA and UEFA.
Who is Fabrizio Corona? His name appears throughout this affair. Fabrizio Corona is the person who is revealing one by one the names of the players involved. As early as August 2, he claimed that Nicolò Fagioli’s name was implicated. On Thursday, just hours before the police intervention at Coverciano, he mentioned Tonali and Zaniolo on his website Dilingernews.it. The former “king of paparazzi,” who has just spent ten years in prison for extortion, including targeting former French player David Trezeguet, is revealing information about some players’ addiction to sports betting. Fabrizio Corona is well-known in Italy, both for his scandalous relationships and his place in the showbiz industry. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, which reports on the opinion of the Turin investigators, his source is “in the Roman environment.” This Thursday afternoon, Corona revealed a fourth name: Nicola Zalewski, a player for AS Roma. “He denies it, and his lawyers are already working,” La Repubblica states. Furthermore, his revelations would compel the authorities to intervene fairly quickly, especially to prevent players, whose names are probably already known to the investigators, from erasing possible evidence.
Is this the beginning of a huge scandal? Not certain, but highly possible. According to Italian media reports, several other Serie A (and beyond) players could be involved in this case of illegal sports betting. La Repubblica mentions another player from Juventus’ squad, albeit a “second-tier” player. If it were to be revealed that a player bet on their own match, particularly with the aim of manipulating the result, it would give this affair a whole new dimension. “It has been a difficult few hours. We are close to Zaniolo and Tonali both on a human and sporting level,” said Gianluigi Donnarumma on the television channel Sky Sport. “It breaks our hearts to lose two boys who can bring us a lot. We are building a good group, but we will stay close to them. What happened should not affect us; we need to stay focused on what happens on the field. We are professionals; we must give it our all,” he continued. Italian coach Luciano Spalletti confirmed that his team had a difficult time with the arrival of the police and the departure of Tonali and Zaniolo. “The whole team did not like these events, but we continue to think about our two teammates… It is right to help them if we can help them,” he added. “But justice must do its job. If offenses have been committed, there must be consequences,” concluded the former Napoli coach.
