Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo is one of several Italian football stars caught up in a betting scandal and the Premier League club’s director of football, Monchi, has spoken to the player regarding the situation.
News broke this week that Italy stars Zaniolo, Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Fagioli have been betting illegally after the footballers were questioned by police in relation to their investigation.
The Aston Villa midfielder is facing a potential three-year ban if he is found guilty, although the 24-year-old insists that he has done nothing more than bet on poker and blackjack.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Zaniolo returned to Birmingham yesterday after meetings with his agents and lawyers. He has also spoken to the club, specifically their director of football Monchi, who provided a calm response and insisted if the player was telling the truth, there was nothing to be concerned about.
Gazzetta states that he has given the Villa star a clear message to train as normal and focus on their next match as he waits for the situation to develop.
