AC Milan fullback Alessandro Florenzi became the latest Italian player put under investigation by Turin prosecutors investigating into players using illicit websites to wager on sports, according to Italian media sources Wednesday.
Florenzi joins the list of previous Italian sportsmen such as Sandro Tonali, Nicolo Fagioli and Nicolo Zanioli to be implicated in unlawful under-the-table sports betting controversies.
Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali and Juventus’ Nicolò Fagioli were previously suspended for 10 and seven months, respectively, by the Italian soccer body in the growing case.
The 23-year-old Tonali, who became the second player banned in the developing case, consented to a plea bargain with the federation that includes rehabilitation for a gambling addiction.
Tonali’s agent, Giuseppe Riso, has confirmed that his client has a gambling issue and that Tonali informed authorities he gambled on AC Milan and Brescia while he played for both teams.
The 22-year-old Fagioli, who has previously been seeing a therapist for his issue, told the Italian soccer federation’s prosecutor about the matter and has been co-operating with authorities to lessen his sentence.
The FIGC stated in a statement that Fagioli has been banned for 12 months but that five of those months were commutable in “alternative requirements.” For that, he must undergo treatment for gambling addiction for a minimum of six months and he must make at least 10 public appearances over the course of the following five months at centers for young soccer players and organizations for recovering addicts.
The Italian players’ collaboration with authorities enabled the minimum punishment of three years for players betting on soccer matches to be considerably lowered.
Aston Villa’s Nicolò Zaniolo is also being probed but has maintained he did not gamble on games.
Florenzi, who was a colleague of Zaniolo’s at Roma, had no immediate reaction. Prosecutors may ask him questions in the next days, according to the LaPresse news agency. The soccer federation might potentially initiate an investigation.
The 32-year-old Florenzi joined Milan last year with a deal until 2024-25. He played on the Italy squad that won the European Championship in 2021. A request for comment was not immediately answered by the club.
