BREAKING NEWS: Aston Villa man “will risk a fine” of €20,000 – “Admitted” to offences so will be punished….

Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo will be handed a €20,000 fine and nothing more for his involvement in the Italian football betting scandal.

That’s according to journalist Giovanni Albanese, who says the Aston Villa man faces nothing more than a fine for his part in the affair.

Zaniolo is one of three Italian footballers, alongside Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali and Juventus’ Nicolo Fagioli, to have been caught up in the affair over the last few weeks.The Aston Villa midfielder has always insisted that, unlike the other two, he has not bet on football in any form and his involvement was limited to betting on poker and blackjack.

That’s a stance he’s maintained since day one and continued with yesterday when he and his lawyers met with Italian prosecutors to state their case.

Reports this morning regarding that meeting made it clear that there is currently no evidence to suggest Zaniolo is not telling the truth and his meeting was more to discuss the illegal nature of the platforms used and the potential links to organised crime.

Those same reports made it clear that the player was facing a fine and nothing more, with no sporting bans or sanctions set to be handed down.

That’s backed up by Albanese, who says the player will face nothing more than a fine of s backed up by Albanese, who says the player will face nothing more than a fine of €20,000 for betting on illegal platforms.

“Zaniolo admitted having bet on games such as Poker and Blackjack on platforms recognized as illegal,” he said.

“But unlike Tonali and Fagioli, who admitted to having played football, with the Newcastle midfielder who played for Milan in the past, albeit a winner.

“The former Roma player, however, questioned by PM Emanuela Pedrotta, will risk a fine of €20,000, precisely because the football was not touched.”