Just the beginning of the story: Italy is once again sinking into gambling chaos

This time it is not about betting, as with Calciopoli, when games were systematically bought and sold more than twenty years ago. No, this time it’s about betting on specific game events – yellow cards, free kicks, corners, etc. In the middle: Nicolò Fagioli (22, Juventus), Nicolò Zaniolo (24, Aston Villa), Sandro Tonali (23, Newcastle) and Nicola Zalewski (21, Roma). All players who have played or are still playing for the biggest clubs in Italy and national players are from Italy or Poland. The Italian Public Prosecution Service is now investigating her.

There is a risk of a long-term ban on playing

Because there is a strong suspicion that the four players have violated Article 24 of the “Codice di giustizia sportiva”. The regulations of the Italian Olympic Committee (Coni) state that members of a sports association are not allowed to bet on the sport in which they are active. According to the regulations, a violation could result in a ban of “at least three years”, which would also apply internationally. It can be even higher if a player bets on his own team’s matches. This is exactly what Zaniolo is accused of. He is said to have bet on a cup match when he was still playing for Roma and got injured.

Betting on specific gaming events is not a new phenomenon. This type of sports betting has long been established and has developed into a lucrative business. Because it is not uncommon for people to play with exorbitant amounts of money. According to estimates, the illegal gambling platforms operating in Italy generate an annual turnover of more than 18 billion euros. The corresponding investigations have been ongoing for over a year now, led by prosecutor Manuela Pedrotta, who further deals with terrorism and organized crime.

Corona is back

The four accused players are the first findings of this. However, it was not the Public Prosecution Service that first reported about it, but a person with insider knowledge who is anything but a friend of the judiciary: Fabrizio Corona (49). A man with a turbulent past. In the early 1990s he made a name for himself as a ‘paparazzo’. He built a fortune on photos of famous people. He resorted to treacherous means.

Corona had threatened dozens of prominent people with publishing compromising photos of them if they did not pay him. One of the victims was French football star David Trezeguet, who admitted at the time that he had spent 20,000 euros for photos of him and a model.

In 2007, the Corona scandal broke out. Six years later he was convicted. After days on the run, he was finally arrested in Lisbon. He was released from prison almost twenty days ago. Now it’s back, loud as ever. Regardless, it didn’t take long for his name to come back to the public’s attention.

America’s public enemy No. 1 as a role model

Corona dropped the gambling bomb on the “Dillingernews” platform that he founded a few days ago. It is named after a former American gangster who specialized in bank robberies with his gang between the First and Second World Wars. At the time, the FBI declared him “Public Enemy No. 1,” the first person to ever do so. Corona, in turn, also sees itself as an enemy of the state. That’s probably why the self-confessed Inter fan now wants to take away the Italians’ love for calcio by leaking football’s dirty secrets.

People will still be surprised at what else comes out, Corona says. The already well-known names could easily be the first of a long list. Everyone in Italy is now convinced of this. “We are only at the beginning of this story,” writes La Repubblica.

Blackjack instead of a bet

Three of the four suspects have not yet commented publicly on the case. Only Fagioli has already confessed and admitted that he is addicted to gambling, in the hope of slightly reducing his sentence. According to rumors, Zaniolo has now also spoken out. He reportedly admitted that he regularly plays blackjack. However, he knows nothing about betting.

The Italian legal system has seized the players’ phones and tablets for investigative purposes. The results of the research are eagerly awaited. Until then, Italian football fans will have to make do with football. Points must be found against Malta and England, otherwise, in addition to the gambling chaos, there is a risk that you will not qualify for the European Championship. That would be the ultimate disaster.