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Sandro Tonali will not serve an extended suspension unless he commits further breaches of FA betting rules.
The Newcastle midfielder is currently suspended for 10 months after admitting to betting on matches he took part in.
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During this ban, Tonali was charged again for allegedly breaching the FA’s betting rules for a second time.
The Magpies have now revealed the outcome of that investigation and the Italian has escaped further sanctions.
They released a statement on Wednesday which said: “Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali has been handed a two-month suspended ban from competitive football by an independent regulatory commission after self-reporting breaches of the FA betting rules.
“He was also fined £20,000 and warned by the FA over his future conduct. The ban period is fully suspended for the duration of the 2024/25 season, meaning he will be available to return to competitive football at the end of an existing ten-month sanction imposed by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on October 27, 2023.
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“Provided he does not commit further breaches of the FA betting rules during the suspension period, Sandro will not serve any part of the two-month sanction.
“As the FA acknowledged in the written reasons of the Independent Regulatory Commission, the level of assistance that Sandro provided by coming forward himself and fully cooperating with a subsequent investigation is extraordinary and unprecedented.
“Sandro made full admissions to his betting activity, and did so in circumstances where there was no other evidence to support a misconduct proceeding.
“Sandro continues to follow a therapeutic plan and educational program with the full support of the club and will continue to train with his teammates.”
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Tonali was therefore handed a two-month suspended ban, meaning he will be able to play for Newcastle once his 10-month ban ends in August, provided he does not break the club’s rules again. FA Paris.
The £55million signing arrived at St. James’ Park last summer but made just 12 appearances in all competitions before being suspended.
This left Eddie Howe without one of his key men in midfield and his team have been hampered by his absence this season.
Having him back for the next campaign will be a huge boost for the Magpies and they will believe the right decision was made.
So will Premier League legend Martin Keown, who called for no further consequences for Tonali last week.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Keown said: “There has to be a danger, when players place these bets, there has to be a consequence to that action, and that’s what we’re seeing now.
“I can tell you now, players will watch this and see it, people won’t bet, and if they do, they’re stupid.
“It’s like changing the ashtrays for some of these gamblers – betting on games – and their whole livelihood could go out the window.
“I don’t know if we’re going to get much out of extending his ban, I think Newcastle are suffering a lot from all of this.
“Isn’t it punishment enough that Tonali is out for the entire season?”
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