“I happened to see him playing and asked him what he was doing. “It was ( AC Milan and now Newcastle United midfielder and fellow subject of this investigation into gambling activity Sandro) Tonali, a close friend of mine, who suggested I play on the illegal site Icebet,” he said. He recalled an Italy Under-21 training camp in Tirrenia, a seaside resort near Pisa. The “thrill” of gambling was a way to “overcome the boredom”.

In his interview with Giuseppe Chine, the FIGC federal prosecutor, Fagioli drew attention to the amount of free time footballers have at their disposal. He duly delivered, apparently able to bend things to his will. When Fagioli joined second-tier Cremonese on loan the season before last, he screengrabbed a WhatsApp message he sent to his friends bullishly claiming “I’ll get them into Serie A” after 26 years away from the top flight. He has the timing, he knows when to get unmarked, when to pass the ball, how to pass the ball. “And it’s a joy to watch him play football because he was born in 2001 and you can see that he understands the game. “There’s a boy born in 2001 called Fagioli,” Allegri said, his eyes lighting up. Allegri had already flagged him up as one to watch five years ago when Fagioli, then only a teenager, was already generating great excitement within Juventus’ academy. In hindsight, it is frankly astonishing to think that Fagioli was able to play with all this going on in the background.įagioli was involved in eight goals for Juventus last season and his form was rewarded not only with the Young Player of the Year award in Serie A but his first senior cap for Italy against Albania in the November.

Fagioli and Dragusin training in 2021 (Daniele Badolato – Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images)

Of bets and debts last of us