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Nicolo Fagioli, a midfielder for Serie A club Juventus and the Italy national team, is set to return to the pitch following a gambling-related ban.
The first fixture since the ban will see Fagiolo featuring in the Juventus lineup when they face off with Bologna later today on 20 May.
The match, taking place at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, will kick off at 20:45 CEST.
The investigation into Fagioli’s betting activities first began in late August. Authorities conducted exploratory inquiries to trace his movements and ascertain the details of his betting – including whether he placed bets on football matches or used illegal platforms.
Initially, he was facing a potential three-year ban from football as well as a substantial fine.
In the end, however, Fagioli was sentenced to a 12-month suspension, which had the potential to be shortened providing that certain criteria were met (which, ultimately, they were).
This included attending treatment for gambling addiction for a minimum period of six months.
The news of Fagioli’s return comes after a string of recent gambling-related football suspensions.
Last year, for example, Brentford’s Ivan Toney was banned from playing for eight months following similar betting breaches. Alongside the ban, he also had to pay a £50,000 ($63,000) fine.
Tooney’s suspension came into immediate effect after he admitted to 232 breaches of the Football Association’s (FA) betting rules.
