Fagioli and Tonali start for Italy 1 year on from betting scandal | OneFootball

Nicolò Fagioli and Sandro Tonali are both in the starting XI for Italy tonight, a year on from the moment police interviewed players on international duty to spark the betting scandal.

The Nations League match with Israel kicks off at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

There are some tweaks to the starting line-up by coach Luciano Spalletti, who is missing suspended Lorenzo Pellegrini, so introduces Giacomo Raspadori, Guglielmo Vicario for Gianluigi Donnarumma and Fagioli in place of Samuele Ricci.

EMPOLI, ITALY – JUNE 09: Nicolo Fagioli of Italy in action during an International Friendly between Italy and Bosnia & Herzegovina at Stadio Carlo Castellani on June 09, 2024 in Empoli, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

Tonali and Fagioli suffered from gambling addiction

Having both Tonali and Fagioli in the starting XI – plus Nicolò Zaniolo on the bench – is particularly remarkable considering it comes a year on from the day they were interviewed by police over a betting scandal.

Tonali and Zaniolo were sent home ahead of crucial EURO 2024 qualifiers on October 12, 2023, whereas Fagioli had already handed himself in to the Prosecutor in Turin.

While Zaniolo was later cleared of betting on sport, instead only playing games like blackjack, Tonali confessed to a gambling addiction that ran through his time at both Milan and Newcastle United.

The Newcastle man received a 10-month ban, while Fagioli was on the sidelines for seven months.