In the afternoon yesterday, Alessandro Florenzi was heard by the Federal Prosecutor's Office as part of the betting case.
The Turin Prosecutor's Office had included him in the list of suspects with the accusation of unauthorised exercise of gaming or betting activities, exactly like Fagioli, Tonali, and Zaniolo.
Two weeks ago, he had been questioned. Before the prosecutors, the Milan player admitted to playing poker and blackjack on illegal platforms but denied ever betting on football. This was reiterated extensively yesterday in front of the head of the FIGC Prosecutor's Office, Giuseppe Chinè.
According to the morning edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport, Florenzi's hearing surprised everyone because, considering what had happened previously, it shouldn't have taken place. While Fagioli and Tonali had asked to be heard to confess to betting on football, thus violating Article 24 of the Sports Justice Code, Nicolò Zaniolo had stated in Turin that he had never placed bets on his own sport, no sports violation.
So, why was Florenzi called?
There are two versions: reportedly relayed via La Gazzetta dello sport, the Prosecutor's Office decided to hear him because there was no written communication from Turin, but there had been an oral communication. However, there's also the very plausible hypothesis that Florenzi's name was brought up by one of the two involved players, particularly by former Milan teammate Sandro Tonali, now at Newcastle. It might not have been him speaking spontaneously about the Rossoneri player, but he could have mentioned his name in response to a direct question from the prosecutor during a chat.
At that point, hearing Florenzi was practically a "due act." Nonetheless, Florenzi's position has been clarified. The player appeared in Rome and was heard for just over ten minutes, reiterating what was said in Turin: he placed bets on illegal platforms in games like roulette, poker, and blackjack, but he never bet on football.
His version, already deemed credible by the Turin Prosecutor's Office, has convinced Chinè as well, who should therefore proceed with the case's closure. The player's lawyer, Gianluca Tognozzi, stated: "Florenzi has declared that he has never bet on football. With this latest development, I believe his involvement in the investigation is concluded."
READ MALDINI'S FULL INTERVIEW HERE
