Sandro Tonali will be banned from football for 10 months over breaches of rules on betting on matches in Italy, the head of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said on Thursday.
The 23-year-old, a £55m summer signing from AC Milan, will miss the remainder of Newcastle’s season and Italy’s Euro 2024 finals campaign, should they qualify.
Tonali will not be able to play competitive football until August 2024 but is free to train with Newcastle and play in friendlies.
He must also attend treatment sessions for problem gamblers and give a series of talks about his experience over a further eight-month period as part of his deal with Italian authorities.
The federation acted following an investigation by Turin prosecutors into soccer players using illegal websites to bet on games.
Tonali had been assisting the investigation and his legal team have been working on a plea bargain after he admitted to making bets on AC Milan to win games in a hearing at the Italian Federation in Turin.
Without his cooperation, Tonali could have faced up to a three-year suspension under FIFA rules.
FIGC President Gabriele Gravina said Tonali was suspended for 18 months but that eight of those months were commutable by attending treatment for gambling addiction and making at least 16 public appearances at centres for young soccer players and associations for recovering addicts.
“We can’t just think about punishing the boys and not helping them recover,” Gravina added. “I think it’s worth a lot more, rather than a month ban, eight months of giving talks about what they went through, in an honest way and with the right behaviour.”
Tonali came off the bench during Newcastle’s 1-0 defeat to Dortmund on Wednesday evening and manager Eddie Howe said the club is “committed to him long-term”.