Italy goalkeeper and captain Gianluigi Donnarumma admitted Friday that the Nazionale had experienced “difficult times” after the departures Thursday of Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo at the heart of an investigation into illicit sports betting.
“It has been difficult hours, we are close to Zaniolo and Tonali from a human and sporting point of view,” declared the Paris SG goalkeeper on the Sky Sport television channel.
“It hurts our hearts to lose two boys who can bring us a lot. We are creating a good group, but we remain close to them,” he continued.
Three players, including Tonali, who moved from AC Milan to Newcastle this summer, and Zaniolo, who left Roma for Aston Villa in July, have been questioned by the police in recent days for having participated in illicit sports betting.
Investigators showed up Thursday afternoon at Coverciano, the Italian team’s training center near Florence, to notify Tonali and Zaniolo that they were under investigation and to interview them.
Following this interrogation, the two players left the Nazionale gathering, because they were not “in a condition to face the commitments of the days to come”, explained the FIGC.
Italy, 2nd in Group C of Euro-2024 qualifying, faces Malta on Saturday in Bari and goes three days later to Wembley to challenge the leader, England, for a repeat of the Euro final -2021 won on penalties in this same stadium by the Nazionale.
“What happened should not impact us, we must remain focused on what is happening on the ground. We are professionals, we will have to give everything,” Donnarumma hoped.
Italian coach Luciano Spalletti confirmed that his team had a hard time with the arrival of the police and the departure of Tonali and Zaniolo.
“The whole team did not like these events, but they continue to think of their two teammates (…) It is right to help them if we can help them,” he added.
“But justice must do its job. If there were offenses committed, we must pay the consequences,” concluded the former Naples coach.
