A scandal involving illegal sports betting has rocked the Italian football scene once again. This latest development is a significant twist in an investigation that began late in 2023 and had already resulted in lengthy suspensions for players Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Fagioli, who were given bans of ten and seven months, respectively. Many other players have been implicated in this troubling affair, according to recent reports.

Twelve gamers are currently being investigated for using illicit internet betting sites between December 2021 and October 2023, according to claims from a major news outlet.  Although the majority of these wagers were on non-football sports, a sizable portion were on poker games.  Among the players mentioned are Argentine sensations Leandro Paredes and Angel Di Maria, who are currently playing for AS Roma and Benfica, respectively, and were once affiliated with Juventus.

Additionally, AC Milan’s midfielder Alessandro Florenzi, Fiorentina’s striker Nicolò Zaniolo (previously with AS Roma), Juventus goalkeeper Mattia Perin, and his colleague Weston McKenie have also been implicated.  Other notable names include Raoul Bellanova, a defender from Atalanta, who had previous stints at inter and Torino, Torino’s Samuele Ricci (who was at Empoli), Cristian Buonaiuto from Padova (previously at Cremonese), Lazio and Empoli’s forward Matteo Cancellieri (now at Parma), and Dominican defender Hector Junior Firpo

Legally speaking, these violations carry fines of up to 250 euros.  The Italian Football Federation is also ready to take disciplinary proceedings against the implicated players, which could lead to further penalties.

 Five managers from these illicit platforms have already been arrested as a result of this investigation, and a sizeable sum of 1.5 million euros has been seized.  The names of the players currently under investigation have not yet been verified by the judiciary, though.