Tonali took voluntary pay-cut after latest ban

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has confirmed that Sandro Tonali took a voluntary pay-cut as he felt guilty after his latest ban. The Azzurri international was initially handed a 10-month ban from football after being found guilty of having placed a number of bets on football matches during his time at Milan.

After starting treatment for gambling addiction, he confessed to having placed a number of bets after he joined the Magpies in 2022. The English FA have now imposed a further two-month band on the midfielder, and issue that Howe touched on in a press conference earlier today:

“It was the right decision, I think, that the FA arrived at – that his ban is not extended.

“Taking a pay-cut? It was something he wanted to do, he felt the guilt… to show the club in good faith that he was sorry, He was determined to put it behind him and try to learn from it.”
Tonali ‘needed help’

“He had issues and needed help, I see a small fraction of his life, time on the training ground. He has been a good professional and trained very well. I am sure he has had some difficult times, but he has conducted himself in a positive way.”