Nicolo Zaniolo has reportedly returned early from international duty as the Aston Villa loanee has been questioned over allegations of illegal betting.
As per Fabrizio Romano, Zaniolo has been questioned by authorities while on international duty with Italy, having been accused of possible involvement in illegal betting.
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It’s important to stress that these are merely allegations at this stage and nothing has been proven or presented as fact by the authorities, and so it’s hoped that with the 24-year-old helping with the investigation by answering any questions on the matter, that he is ultimately cleared of any wrong doing.
However, for now, it’s added by Romano that Zaniolo has left the Italy training camp and will return to Villa, and so it remains to be seen what happens next.
This has since been confirmed by the FIGC in an official statement, who detail that representatives from the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office were in attendance at Coverciano, with Football Italia reporting that the allegations were initially made by columnist Fabrizio Corona, who has accused Zaniolo of betting while with Roma.
Naturally, from a Villa perspective, it’s hoped that the investigation concludes with Zaniolo being cleared, but should it be found that he has breached betting rules, he will face a potential ban that would extend to UEFA competition, as per Football Italia.
It’s a concerning development for now as await additional news on whether or not Zaniolo now faces further investigation, and it remains to be seen what the ramifications would be if that was the case in terms of his loan deal from Galatasaray and what action the club might take.
The Italian international has made nine appearances for us so far this season, and although he has yet to register a goal or assist, he has quickly become a key player for Unai Emery having broken into the starting XI, while he is a popular figure among supporters.