Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has revealed that he found comfort in helping others struggling with gambling issues during his 10-month suspension for breaching betting regulations. The Italian international, who transferred to Newcastle from AC Milan for £55 million in July 2023, was banned by the Italian Football Federation last October for his actions in Serie A. The suspension was enforced globally by FIFA.
Having completed his ban, the 24-year-old is set to return to the pitch when Newcastle faces Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup’s second round. Reflecting on his time away from football, Tonali shared, “Especially in the first three months, I met many people with ordinary jobs, particularly in Newcastle, who had this problem and had never spoken about it before.”
He continued, “When my situation became public, it encouraged them to seek help and stop bottling things up, which made me very happy.”
In addition to serving his suspension, Tonali was required to participate in an educational program and made 16 trips to Italy to educate young players about the risks of gambling. This outreach provided an unexpected positive aspect to an otherwise challenging period.
“These people got help just by talking,” Tonali explained. “The first step, the biggest step, is being able to talk about this huge thing you’re carrying inside of you that you’ve never done before.”
Tonali expressed gratitude for the support he received from the club and its fans during his suspension. “I’m happy because it’s the first time after 10 months, and I’m feeling good because I know the team was here with me and the fans were here with me,” he said. “It was very difficult in October, November, and December, but now I feel it’s a new time.”
Eddie Howe, Newcastle’s manager, confirmed that Tonali would be part of the squad traveling to the City Ground and acknowledged the emotional journey the player has been on. “When you have a long time out, you have a long time to analyze and reflect. Now it is just back to doing what he loves. It will be an incredible release for him,” Howe commented.
Howe also noted that while Tonali is fit, he needs match practice to regain his form. “He has done everything else – he has worked incredibly hard to be on top of his fitness. He has to play to his strengths and not do anything too out of the ordinary,” Howe added.
