The probe involved betting up to 2023, police said.
Two players who have already served bans for betting allegedly acted as collectors for the other bettors, Newcastle and Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali and Fiorentina and Italy midfielder Nicolò Fagioli, police said.
Among the other players involved are Juve and USA midfielder Weston McKennie, Italy winger Nicolò Zaniolo, Italy right wing-back Raoul Bellanova and former Juventus winger Angel Di Maria, now in the twilight of his illustrious career at Benfica.
The footballers, according to what has been learned, are being investigated for having played on illegal betting and poker platforms and for having advertised them among other footballers.
There are numerous other names that appear in the investigation documents.
Among these are also those of AC Milan’s full back Alessandro Florenzi Alessandro, Juve reserve goalkeeper Mattia Perin, Torino and Italy midfielder Samuele Ricci and Roma and Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes.
Police said Fagioli and Sandro Tonali, “in addition to having placed numerous bets” on illegal platforms, allegedly acted as “gambler collectors” and were “remunerated with bonuses on their gaming accounts” and with debt reduction.
This has emerged from the documents of the Milan investigation.
The two are being investigated for a charge regarding their “advertising” of the gambling platform, while all the others are being investigated as “mere gamblers”.
The latter amount to twenty in total, including not only footballers but also other athletes.
They allegedly paid their gambling debts with bank transfers to a jewellery store, pretending to buy Rolexes and other luxury watches.
According to the prosecution, the footballers were first given credit by the betting organisers.
Then, when the debt became onerous, they were directed to the jewellery store to pay the price of the watches before leaving with just the invoice.
ANSA
