Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has come out in support of Sandro Tonali: ‘Lets not throw the book at him’. The Italian midfielder has been charged with breaking betting rules by the English FA, having already earned a ban for illegal betting activity in Italy. Speaking ahead of the Magpies match with West Ham on Sunday, Howe addressed the news and expressed his support for the youngster:
“He has suffered during this period and he has sought help,” Howe said. “The news that there was an FA charge, that illness didn’t stop when he moved from Italy to England,” Howe said.
“That illness was there and people should look at it that way, not ‘let’s throw the book at him and punish him even further’ because I don’t think that gets to the root of the problem.
“He is seeking help on a regular basis,” said Howe, “This is something that will not be going away. He has regular meetings both here and in Italy to deal with it.”
Tonali’s current ban runs until August and relates to a period prior to his move to England when he breached the FIGC rule which prohibits players from placing bets on football events. He was also fined 20,000 euros.
