An investigation in Italy has revealed an illegal betting ring involving several football players, including Ángel Di María and Weston McKennie. The players allegedly used unauthorised betting platforms to participate in illegal gambling, although their bets were not directly related to football matches. The investigation also uncovered methods of concealing illegal financial transactions, including fictitious payments for luxury watches. The scandal, which affects several leading figures in Serie A, could result in severe disciplinary sanctions, including suspensions.
Italian football has once again been rocked by an illegal betting scandal involving a number of high-profile players. Among the key figures named in the investigation by the Milan public prosecutor’s office are Ángel Di María, a former Juventus player now with Benfica, and Weston McKennie, an American midfielder who still plays for Turin.
The investigation, which covers the period from December 2021 to October 2023, reveals that these players allegedly used online betting platforms not authorised by the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency. Although the bets did not concern football matches, the use of these clandestine sites constitutes an infringement of the regulations in force.
A sophisticated underground betting network
The investigations uncovered a complex network orchestrated by a group of five individuals based in Milan. The network used password-protected, restricted-access online betting sites to organise private poker games and other forms of gambling. To conceal the financial transactions, the players allegedly made fictitious payments to a luxury watch shop, pretending to buy Rolex watches that were never delivered. This method made it possible to conceal the flow of money linked to illegal gambling activities.
The authorities have already seized more than €1 million as part of the investigation, and five people have been placed under house arrest for their alleged role in organising the scheme.
Potential sporting consequences
Although the criminal penalties for the players involved may be limited to relatively modest fines, the repercussions on their sporting careers could be significant. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has already shown its firmness by suspending Sandro Tonali for ten months and Nicolò Fagioli for seven months for similar offences.
The Italian Minister for Sport, Andrea Abodi, has expressed his wish to exclude players convicted of such offences from the national team, stressing the importance of the moral integrity of national team representatives. This position could influence future FIGC decisions regarding players currently under investigation.
A growing list of names
In addition to Di María and McKennie, the investigation has identified other high-profile players, including Alessandro Florenzi (AC Milan), Nicolò Zaniolo (formerly at Roma), Mattia Perin (Juventus), Leandro Paredes (formerly at Roma), Junior Firpo (Leeds United), Raoul Bellanova, Samuele Ricci, Cristian Buonaiuto, Matteo Cancellieri, as well as tennis player Matteo Gigante. In all, twelve Serie A players are currently being targeted by the authorities.
The case came to light thanks to the analysis of phones seized during the investigations into Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Fagioli, which uncovered communications involving these new suspects. Prosecutors allege that Tonali and Fagioli played an active role in promoting illegal gambling platforms, acting as intermediaries to open or finance gambling accounts for other players.
A crisis of trust in Italian football
This scandal is reminiscent of previous illegal betting cases that have tainted Italian football, notably the notorious ‘Totonero’ of the 1980s. Although the authorities have found no evidence of match-fixing in this case, the involvement of high-profile players in illegal gambling activities raises questions about the integrity of the sport and the vulnerability of athletes to the temptations of gambling.
The FIGC has announced its intention to step up awareness-raising programmes to prevent risky behaviour among professional players. Compulsory training courses on the dangers of gambling and the consequences of illegal betting are planned for all levels of Italian football.