FA verdict confirms Sandro Tonali's Newcastle United request after 10-month betting ban

Sandro Tonali took a voluntary pay cut at Newcastle United after being charged for breaching Italian betting rules last year.

The 23-year-old has since been charged by the Football Association and handed a suspended two-month ban from playing. Tonali is currently serving his initial 10-month ban and is due to return to competitive football at the end of August 2024 providing he does not commit any further betting rule breaches.

The Italian international has also been handed a £20,000 fine for placing 50 bets on matches as a Newcastle player, including four on his side to win.

And Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe is content with the conclusion reached by the FA this week.

“It's the right decision,” he said. “I think the FA have arrived at, that the ban isn't extended. Sandro's currently working hard behind the scenes, he's trained very well.

“But as always – as I've said many times referring to this situation – we're still supporting him and helping him as he serves this time.

“He's been very good. He's been very consistent. Of course, I see a small fraction of his life. I see him for the time he's at the training ground and he's a very good professional, he's trained very well.

“He's still relatively quiet within the group, but I think that's just his personality. That's not in a negative way, that's just he's really focused on his football, on improving his game.

“You wouldn't necessarily see what's going on beneath the surface and I'm sure he's had really difficult moments in the past few months. I'm sure he's had days where he's felt worse than others, but he's conducted himself in a really positive way.”

The FA’s report confirmed Tonali had taken a voluntary pay cut at Newcastle following his initial ban.

“It was something he wanted to do,” Howe added. “He felt the guilt and he felt that joining a new club, that was something he wanted to show the club in good faith that he was sorry and he was determined to put it behind him and try to learn from it.

“So all really good signs, I think, for the future for us that we've got a very good human being in the football club and someone that's keen now to, as I say, put it behind him and try to show all the good that he can do for Newcastle United.” Tonali’s absence has been exasperated by Newcastle’s lengthy injury crisis with the midfielder continuing to train with an often heavily depleted squad.

“[We’ve missed] his technical ability, his ability to play different positions in a season where you’re stretched by injuries,” Howe admitted. “Any player that is versatile is hugely important.

“He would have been a big, big player for us. He would have driven us to get some key results. The players have felt his loss as well. That has been a negative for the players to see him train and then not be able to play.”