Italian football legend Gianluigi Buffon has spoken up in support of his compatriots, Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Fagioli, who are currently serving bans for betting violations.
Newcastle midfielder Tonali received a significant 10-month suspension for betting on matches in which he had participated with AC Milan.
Juventus star Fagioli also faced repercussions for placing bets on unauthorised platforms, resulting in a seven-month ban and a €12,500 (£11,000/$13,000) fine.
Buffon has defended both players, emphasising the systemic issues within the sport and the pervasive nature of betting within it.
Speaking to Corriere della Sera, the legendary goalkeeper said, “This is a very sensitive issue. I think it is wrong to criminalise and not to make distinctions.
Betting in itself is not a crime; the stadiums themselves and sports broadcasts are full of App advertisements of this kind, and the state encourages gambling. If, on the other hand, a footballer bets on football, he faces punishment, and rightly so; but if he bets on volleyball, basketball, or dog racing, he is not committing a crime. And it gets worse when people talk about gambling, again missing the point: gambling is not a problem of how much you spend but of the time you devote to this activity.
“And we have to explain this to the children: it is not that if you make continuous 1 euro bets by spending hours and hours in front of the App, then it is OK; whereas if one spends 1 million on one occasion, then he is a gambler. We can say he’s a moron; that’s fine; but the disease stems from the addiction, the continuity with which one does something.”
Buffon was involved in a betting scandal during his own playing days, being accused of betting on five Juventus matches between 2004 and 2005.
The veteran shotstopper was eventually cleared despite a torrent of negative press, a tendency he has since called out. “I don’t like bigots who judge with an aberrant superficiality without really knowing what the motives are,” Buffon added. “I’ve been there myself, being muddied without having committed anything; when things are cleared up, you forget to explain and apologise and leave people with a label on them. I find that deeply wrong.”
Buffon’s remarks, particularly regarding the deep-seated influence of betting in today’s football, resonate as several players face legal consequences for violating betting regulations.
Brentford’s Ivan Toney is on the verge of making a comeback after serving an eight-month suspension for admitting to 232 breaches of the English FA’s betting rules.
Despite scoring 21 goals in 35 appearances for the Bees last season, the English star’s lengthy ban might prompt interest from other clubs.
While Tonali and Fagioli weren’t as fortunate as Buffon in avoiding punishment, it is believed that their cooperation contributed to reducing their sentences from a potential three-year ban.
Both Italian stars will now undergo a rehabilitation program before making their respective returns to the field.