Newcastle United midfielder, Sandro Tonali was reportedly distraught after he was interrogated by the authorities while on international duty.
That is according to Italy manager Luciano Spalletti, following the discovery of Tonali and fellow international player Nicolo Zaniolo entangled in an alleged unlawful betting investigation.
Last Thursday, the two departed the Azzurri’s training camp in Coverciano after being notified by Turin prosecutors that they were under investigation.
In a statement released last week, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) stated that Tonali and Zaniolo were not in the “right condition” to play in the vital Euro 2024 qualifiers against England and Malta. As a result, both were permitted to go back to their clubs, Newcastle and Aston Villa respectively.
Although no additional information has been made available regarding the particular questions posed to Tonali. According to the Chronicle Live, Spalletti was questioned about the event once more prior to Italy’s pivotal Tuesday night clash with England at Wembley.
“It was traumatic for the team because we had the authorities almost coming into the dressing room,” the Azzurri manager told reporters.
“Everyone was surprised. Everyone was upset, but we had almost a whole day from when we said goodbye to them and some of us were even able to give them a hug before they went home.
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“The players themselves [Tonali and Zaniolo] were absolutely distraught because when you are part of a national team, very strong ties and bonds are created.
“After the results, the one other thing that you keep with you for the rest of your life is the lasting relationships that you make in the national team set-up.”
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