In a recent shocking development in Italian soccer, Juventus midfielder Fagioli has been suspended for seven months for his involvement in the "Gambler's Gate" incident. According to the Turin Sports Gazette, the 22-year-old player revealed at the hearing that he owed as much as 3 million euros (about 25 million Hong Kong dollars) due to his gambling addiction and claimed that it was Sindo Donnelly who led him into "gambling".
Faggioli said during the hearing that his gambling addiction stemmed from too much free time. It all started during an Italy U21 training session in 2021, when he witnessed Sindo Donnelly betting on his cell phone, and after asking him about it, Sindo Donnelly lured him into joining him and opened an account for him on an illegal betting site to keep him safe. Fakioli revealed: "Initially I was just betting on tennis, but as my debt increased, I felt very depressed. From September last year, I switched to soccer in the hope of paying off my debts, including Serie A and Europa League matches."
Last April, Faggioli cried bitterly on the bench after he was subbed out of a game against Sassuolo after conceding a goal off a turnover. Fans assumed he was in tears due to self-blame, however Faggioli later revealed that he was depressed at the time due to his heavy debts. He confessed, "The more I gambled, the more I lost, and my creditors even threatened to break my legs. Even when I won, I couldn't pay off my debts and only reduced some of what I owed. I had borrowed 40,000 euros from my teammate Gadi, which I still haven't paid back."
