Portugal Colonial - Italy send Tonali, Zaniolo home amid gambling probe

In a statement, the FIGC confirmed that midfielder Tonali and forward Zaniolo, who both play in England with Newcastle United and Aston Villa respectively, had been formally informed of the probe by prosecutors from Turin at the Azzurri's Coverciano training centre.

The pair will miss Italy's Euro 2024 qualifying matches with Malta and England, with the European champions second in Group C but level on seven points with Ukraine and North Macedonia.

"Regardless of the nature of the investigative order, given that in this situation the two players are not in the right condition to face the commitments of the coming days, the federation has decided... to allow them to return to their respective clubs," The FIGC said.

The news comes a day after FIGC prosecutors announced a probe into Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli, who is alleged to have used a variety of identities to place bets on illegal websites.

Fagioli's lawyers claimed the 22-year-old, who is also being investigated by Turin's criminal prosecutors, handed himself into the authorities.

If found in breach of the FIGC's sports justice code, which prohibits professional players from betting on football, Fagioli could face a three-year suspension and a fine of 25,000 euros ($26,325).

Tonali became the most expensive Italian footballer when Newcastle bought him from AC Milan in the summer, and the 23-year-old has played 15 times for his country.

Zaniolo, who also has 15 international caps, was once the rising young star of Italian football but two serous knee injuries and a falling out with Jose Mourinho at Roma led to him being shipped off to Galatasaray, who loaned him to Villa in August.

Earlier on Thursday disgraced Italian paparazzo Fabrizio Corona, who claimed four months ago that Fagioli had a gambling addiction, had broken the news that Tonali and Zaniolo were being investigated.

Corona is a gossip specialist, hugely famous in Italy, who has spent time in prison for illegally obtaining photographs and blackmailing football clubs and players with them.

He claimed one of the two players being investigated had even made bets on his own team while sitting on the substitutes' bench.

V.Dantas--PC