Di María, Paredes under investigation for illegal betting in Italy

An illegal betting scandal that led to lengthy suspensions for Italian internationals Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Fagioli has widened to include other current and former Serie A players — among them, Argentina stars Ángel Di María and Leandro Paredes.

According to Italian news agencies ANSA and AGI, twelve players — in addition to Tonali and Fagioli — are under investigation for allegedly using underground platforms to place bets between December 2021 and October 2023. The wagers reportedly involved sports other than football, with poker being the primary focus.

Two other names had already surfaced when the investigation first became public in 2023: AC Milan player Alessandro Florenzi and Fiorentina’s Nicolò Zaniolo.

The latest developments emerge from forensic analysis of Tonali and Fagioli’s mobile phones and their testimony before prosecutors. Authorities are now looking into several Juventus players — both current, such as Weston McKennie and Mattia Perin, and former, including Di María and Paredes. Italian internationals Raoul Bellanova (Atalanta) and Samuele Ricci (Torino) are also under scrutiny.

Those found guilty could face a fine of 250 euros (US$284; £213) and disciplinary proceedings from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).

Tonali, who plays for Newcastle, and Fagioli — a Juventus player at the time of the alleged offences, now at Fiorentina — received bans of ten and seven months respectively in October 2023. Both suspensions have already been served.

Tonali received the harsher punishment after admitting to placing bets on matches involving his former clubs, Brescia and AC Milan, while still playing for them. Fagioli, who confessed to a gambling addiction and accumulating more than three million euros (US$3.4 million; £2.56 million) in debt, was given a reduced ban.

On Friday, Milan’s public prosecutor’s office announced that five individuals had been placed under house arrest for running the illicit betting operation, which was based out of a jewellery shop in the city. They are facing charges related to the unauthorised operation of gambling services and money laundering.

Authorities also seized 1.5 million euros (US$1.6 million; £1.28 million) in the raid.

The names of the players currently under investigation have not yet been officially confirmed by prosecutors.