This FA statement on Sandro Tonali is a total joke | OneFootball

Thursday afternoon brought an official announcement (see below) from Newcastle United, saying that a misconduct charge had been received by Sandro Tonali from the FA, regarding alleged breaches of their Betting Rules.

The club said they were fully in support of the player.

Newcastle United saying they couldn’t give any more details as it was an ‘ongoing process’ regarding Sandro Tonali.

Sandro Tonali of course was given a ten months ban which came into worldwide effect towards the end of October 2023 and meant he was banned from playing football for ten months, able to play again from 27 August 2024 onwards.

Following immediately after the Newcastle United announcement today, there came a statement from The FA which DID give more details.

The FA official statement on Sandro Tonali – 28 March 2024:

‘Sandro Tonali has been charged with misconduct in relation to alleged breaches of The FA’s Betting Rules.

It’s alleged that the Newcastle United midfielder breached FA Rule E8 50 times by placing bets on football matches between 12 August 2023 and 12 October 2023.

Sandro Tonali has until 5 April 2024 to respond.’

This is surely a total joke.

Rumours had been circulating for months that something like this could be going to happen, however, I had dismissed it in the end, especially with it now being five months since that original worldwide ten months ban was put in place.

Reading this brief statement from The FA, this is out of order for me.

Why wait all this time before doing anything?

Plus, they aren’t even claiming Sandro Tonali has done anything wrong once his ban came into place.

They are simply claiming that Tonali had kept on gambling on football after arriving in England and before the whole Italian FA investigation came to light.

I already thought the ten months was harsh, considering there was no suggestion that Sandro Tonali had ever backed against his own team when playing. Which would have been a whole other level. He had simply been betting on football matches, including ones involving his own team(s), which is indeed against the rules and for which he deserved punishment.

However, as I say, I thought ten months was harsh.

Then even more so when what difference would have made if they had just shown common sense and cut it by a few weeks, so that he could have had a clean slate and been able to play from the very start of the 2024/25 Premier League season?

Now we have this nonsense from the English FA.

Surely Sandro Tonali and Newcastle United have been punished enough.

If indeed he had kept gambling on football matches after arriving at Newcastle United AND these bets before the Italian FA investigation came to light, then so what?

For me the very obvious thing would have been to roll this (betting on matches early this season) up into the existing Italian FA investigation and the already declared punishment.

I think it would be scandalous if the English FA now, if Sandro Tonali is found to have placed bets on matches this season, to then give him some extra punishment.

It would feel like they are trying to totally ruin his career and the punishment far in excess of anything he may have done wrong.

Newcastle United official announcement – 28 March 2024:

‘Newcastle United acknowledges a misconduct charge received by Sandro Tonali in respect of alleged breaches of FA Betting Rules.

Sandro continues to fully comply with relevant investigations and he retains the club’s full support.